


Buttons 2

by Mie779



Series: Buttons [2]
Category: The Sound of Music - Rodgers/Hammerstein/Lindsay & Crouse
Genre: F/M, Honeymoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:35:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25165540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mie779/pseuds/Mie779
Summary: My muse just wouldn't let me forget those Buttons :P As so here is the sequel to "Buttons", where we follow M&G on the first days of their honeymoon... family brunch All included in chapter2... There will be fluffiness and sweet romantic moments (Buttons included;) but also some family fun and questions on where babies come from. Do hope you enjoy and leave a review... Thanks. (PS: it evolved into a 6 chapter story with a word count that is some 30K+ words)
Relationships: Georg von Trapp/Maria von Trapp
Series: Buttons [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822123
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay the beginning of their honeymoon, and what comes after... hope you all like this little fluffy romantic journey with my favorite Captain and his beautiful wife Maria.

**Buttons 2**

**Chapter 1:**

Maria woke up with the most sensational feeling running through her entire body. She was resting her head on her husband's chest, just where his heart was beating in a slow and steady rhythm. Her hand rested next to her chin, and she felt her husband's arm wrapped protectively around her waist. This fact was probably why she, at that very moment, felt more content and rested than she had ever done in her entire life. Yesterday had been the most glorious day of her life: she had married Baron Georg von Trapp and could now call herself Baroness Maria von Trapp. This new title and name was still something that she had not yet gotten used to calling herself. But she relished in the fact that she now woke up in her loving husband's arms, feeling loved and cherished beyond words.

From the steady heartbeat and breathing of her husband, she gathered that he was still asleep. She smiled to herself, as she knew Georg to be an early riser, so she couldn't help but wonder why he was still sleeping. She glanced up to look out of the windows, but they were covered with heavy drapes that didn't allow much light to enter the room. One small sliver of bright sunlight was all that penetrated the otherwise dark room, letting Maria know that is was late morning.

Feeling the need to stretch her legs, she moved her body slightly, trying not to wake her husband. This movement caused her to take a sharp intake of breath as she felt a somewhat stinging pain in her private parts. She closed her eyes and smiled inwardly, knowing fully well as to why this pain was present this morning. The previous night had certainly been a night she would _never_ forget, and had she known the lovemaking part of marriage would be that pleasurable, she would have looked forward to it with a bit more eagerness than she had. Her mind filled with memories of their first joining and how she had felt when they both crashed down from the waves of pleasure. Still, she could not fathom that it would feel so amazing for the rest of her life. So, aside from the pain that she knew would subside, she felt contentment and eagerness to go on this new journey with her husband.

Said husband began to stir from his sleep, he too feeling content and relaxed as he felt the warmth of his wife laying nestled at his side, her head resting on his chest. When he opened up his eyes he was greeted with the sight of his wife's strawberry-blonde hair; her head was bent slightly downward so he could not see her face. But he felt her delicate fingers tracing a lazy pattern on his chest. This tiny movement caused his body to respond on its own: heat washed down into his private parts and memories of the previous night came back to him. Memories of her fingers moving in such a delicate way over his body that he would lose all sense of the world around him, and only feel her warm body pressed into his.

When her fingers began to move around on his chest and circled one of his nipples, he couldn't help taking a sharp intake of breath. This sound made her aware of him being awake. Slowly she raised her head and rested her chin on her hand. The smile that she greeted her husband with told him, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that she was happy and very, _very_ pleased with herself.

"Hmm…good morning, darling. Why do you look like a cat who's just caught the biggest mouse in the house… Whatever would make my beautiful bride so happy?" His voice was a low timber, and his hand reached up to smooth away a stray lock of her golden hair.

Hearing her husband speak like that made her blush slightly, and she quickly looked down at her hand. She felt the heat rising in her ears, but she reached down into her heart and grabbed her newfound confidence, and looked at him again. His eyes had that wicked teasing twinkle in them, a dead giveaway that he was very amused with something she had either said or done. Of course, he knew perfectly well as to why she looked so happy: for all of the same reasons he felt bubbles of joy in his own body. He just wanted her to tell him in her own words what she was thinking of, helping her to get used to telling him things like this.

"Well, I…um…I'm just…I…you…" Her voice failed her and, in a desperate need to find something to say, her eyes searched the room. The bright stream of sunlight caught her attention: "Well, I'm just happy that the sun is shining, that's all… I… you know, it would be a shame for it to rain on the day we go on our honeymoon." She dared to look him straight in the eyes while saying this, but her façade slowly crumpled when she saw him chuckling and shaking his head.

"Oho…so you're _only_ happy because the sun is shining… well, my darling, I have a hard time believing that you spent the last five minutes thinking _only_ about the sun." He winked at her, and let his hand caress the lower part of her back.

This tiny gesture made her very much aware of her own body again, and how it seemed to react very strongly to this supposedly innocent touch. She felt the heat build-up in the pit of her stomach. Trying to regain some sort of composure, she answered him: "Yes, _yes,_ that was the only thing I was thinking about, nothing else." She tried to underline her statement by tapping his chest with her finger while she spoke the last two words.

"Well, my _darling,_ I have a _very_ hard time believing this, seeing as the first thing I noticed when you looked at me was that almost permanent blush you keep on your pretty face. A blush that would _never_ come from merely thinking about sunshine on our honeymoon." He chuckled, and then his eyes lit up in a somewhat boyish manner as if he's just got a brilliant idea. "Aha! Unless your train of thought was of a, let's just say, a more grownup nature?"

Maria hid her face on her hand and shook her head while trying to suppress a giggle that threatened to escape her lips. Then, putting on a cool façade, she looked him square in the eyes and shook her head with an over erratic eagerness. "Why would I _not_ think of the sun? Whatever else is there to think about?" She felt her telltale blush creep up her neck, and when he just shook his head in disbelief, her façade crumbled and she broke down in laughter.

"My beautiful, wonderful, amazing _wife_ , whatever am I going to do with you?" He moved his head down towards her mouth, and she moved up in expectations of a kiss. But the second she moved she felt herself being tickled mercilessly just under her arm, right on the ticklish spot he had found the previous night. While still tickling her, he moved around in a swift motion so he was now hovering over her still giggling form.

While her laughter was still present, he bent his head down and whispered into her ear: "You do know that you're a terrible liar, don't you?" He kissed his way from her ear down her jawline.

"Oh… I… I know…" Maria tried to speak through her giggles, as he was still moving his hand way too close to her ticklish spot. "I… I just didn't know what to say… you know I don't have much experience in all of this… talking about… about you know… about what we did last night." For every word she spoke, she felt more and more heat rise to her face. She closed her eyes briefly and then dared to look straight into his eyes. What she saw made her breath hitch, and the fire in her stomach flared up once more.

"No need to be embarrassed to talk about what we did last night." He emphasized his word by giving her a short but smoldering kiss that took any last breath away from her. Then he continued as if nothing had happened between them mere seconds earlier. "No need to beat around the bush with what we shared: it was natural, it was beautiful, it was ravishing, it was exquisite, and we shared it, just the way it was supposed to happen." With each word describing their evening, he gave her a small peck on her lips, emphasizing his words.

"Oh Georg, I know. I'm just, well, you know…new at all this…please forgive me." Her voice was low and pleading. But she had not needed to plead with him; he understood perfectly why she acted this way.

"There is nothing to forgive; I understand how all of this must be to you. My God, only months ago you had a life plan that wrote you to be a nun. This, what we share now, is so far away from that plan as anything will ever be. As I have already said, we'll only move as fast as you're comfortable with. Just remember that, all right?"

Maria nodded her head and wanted to show him that she was fine, so she reached her hands up to his face pulling him down for a kiss. He had no objections to this whatsoever, and soon the kiss evolved into a deep, passionate kiss that made all logical thinking impossible. And so their bodies took over and moved by instinct. Her hands roamed around in his hair, and neck, down to his shoulders, holding on for dear life. He let his hands travel all over her upper body, sending fire trails along her already hot skin.

Maria was so lost in all that was happening between them while they kissed, that she barely noticed that one of his hands had moved a bit further down below her abdomen. But when his warm and searching fingers found their destination in the warmth between her legs, she suddenly was very much aware of just how sore that very spot really was. Before she could even think to suppress the slight pain, her body jerked on its own, and a small hissing sound escaped her lips. This combined made Georg stop his every move and looked down at her with concern in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Maria, I'm hurting you, what's wrong?" His voice was filled with worry and questions. He moved his body so he lay on his side, and placed his hand on her stomach.

"I…uhm…well, the thing is…I…oh, Georg, I'm sorry but it seems as if last night's…eh…activities…uhm…made me slightly sore…you know, down there." Her face beat red and she tried to avoid looking into his eyes. And when she did dare to look at his face, all she saw was a gentle smile and a tiny twinkle in his eyes.

"You shouldn't be sorry for this, darling. _I_ should be sorry. After all, we did make love twice last night, and with it being your first time, it's only natural that you would be somewhat sore. I should have thought about that, but I suppose we both got caught up in everything and didn't think about how you would feel in the morning." His voice was filled with genuine concern, and she thought she might also hear a tiny bit of regret of them doing it twice, but in her mind, she would _never_ regret doing what they did last night.

"It's alright, and just so you know, I would never want to trade off _anything_ we did last night just so I would feel no pain this morning." Her statement was underlined with her raising her head kissing him deeply, letting him know that she had no regrets whatsoever.

Georg sighed in relief and deepened the kiss. Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew that he had to stop soon or he might not be able to control himself. She was doing wonderful things to his state of mind, her hands caressing his neck and shoulders, boldly moving down to his chest. When he felt her fingers graze over his nipple, he had to will his whole body _not_ to respond to the tiny gesture she was making. He knew that she would feel even more pain if they were to go any further this morning. It had to wait until later in the night on the train towards Paris.

"Ah, my dear wife, you have no idea what you're doing to me, do you? Every single move or sound you make drives me to the brink of madness. Darling, if you continue doing this," he placed his hand over her still searching fingers on his chest, "I will _not_ be able to stop us from going any further." His eyes twinkled in both mirth and passion; he was pleased beyond words that his wife seemed to have adapted well in her role as a lover.

"Oh… I'm sorry…I…" She didn't get to finish her sentence as Georg placed a finger over her lips.

"Don't be sorry, not for wanting to love me… never be sorry about wanting to show me your love. I love you." Georg ran his hand through her hair and bend his head down and stole yet another kiss.

Trying to regain some composure, he pulled back and laid himself down next to her, his hand resting warmly on her abdomen. He kept smiling at her while their heads lay side by side, her face like an open book to him at that moment. He saw her newfound passion burning in her eyes, yet the almost permanent blush was still very much present.

Maria was at a loss for words, something that rarely happened with her, and she had an idea as to why her words seemed to fail her this morning. The fact lay resting right next to her: her husband, now finally her husband, in every sense of the word. What they had shared last night was beyond her wildest dreams, and she did have a vivid imagination, but this was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. And, secretly, she was very much looking forward to their next private moment.

They lay there a few more moments until Georg glanced at the clock, and when he realized what time it was, he spoke: "Hmm, darling, I do believe that we have seven children and one Max Detweiler waiting for us in under half an hour." He touched his lips gently to her temple, feeling her warm and inviting skin under his lips. Oh, how he wished for them to just be alone, but plans had been made and he knew that Maria would hate to miss saying goodbye to the children.

"Oh dear, is it already 10 o'clock? I thought we had plenty of time!" Maria sounded puzzled, but then it dawned on her why they were late and she blushed slightly.

"We'll have to continue this tonight on the train, where _no one_ will disturb us." Georg kissed her long and deep, emphasizing his words and what exactly they would be doing tonight. Maria kissed him back, telling him wordlessly just how much she was looking forward to it. Georg read her like an open book and smiled against her lips, thrilled that she looked forward to it as much as he did.

When he pulled back, he noticed that she panted a little and her eyes shone with unfulfilled passion, a passion that was only meant for him to see and enjoy. He gave her his lopsided half-smile and winked at her, as if to say, "You'll have to wait until tonight." Maria gave him a shy smile. She knew what he was thinking about; she was thinking about the very same thing.

Then Georg moved out of the bed in one swift motion, and proclaimed: "I'll take a shower first if it's all right with you?" Maria could only nod because her mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that her husband was now standing in the full nude right in front of her. It puzzled Georg at first why she didn't speak, but then he noticed her huge eyes staring at him. Then he realized that she had been a bit taken back by him standing there in the nude. Despite what they had shared last night, she was obviously still rather shy of seeing him with no clothes on. He gave her a small wink and then he moved to the bathroom, still wearing nothing but his Adam's costume.

It took Maria several minutes to regain some sort of composure again after seeing her nude husband walk so carelessly into the bathroom. Her mind swirled back to last night and what they had shared; she couldn't seem to get enough of being with him.

Suddenly, it dawned on Maria that Georg would soon walk out of their bathroom, and it would be her turn to take a bath. Frantically, she searched the room for her nightgown, and just as she lay eyes on it, several meters away from the bed, she heard Georg getting out of his shower. Without giving it much thought, she made a beeline for her nightgown. She had barely reached the piece of clothing before the bathroom door was opened.

The sight that greeted Georg was somewhat amusing, given the fact that his wife was now frantically trying to get her nightgown over her head, without showing off too much of her skin. Before she could succeed in her attempt he stilled her hands that still held on tight to the flimsy piece of clothing.

"Now _this_ is a sight I wouldn't mind seeing every morning when I get out of my shower: my beautiful and amazing wife with no clothes on." He grinned down at her, and she gave up on her struggle over the nightgown, now she just clutched it tightly against her chest. His words reverberating inside her head, and when they gave meaning to her she blushed profoundly, bending her head trying to hide her telltale blush.

"Don't look down, darling. You're beautiful, and you might as well start believing this, as I'll tell you every day, for the rest of our lives, that you're the most beautiful woman in the world. I love you. Don't look down." He tilted her head up with one finger, letting his eyes convince her that she did not have anything to be embarrassed about.

When Maria started to take in her husband's attire, she gulped down a bit of air that had somehow dislocated itself in her throat. He wore a towel around his waist and nothing more, with one smaller towel lying carelessly over his shoulders, and she gathered that he must have used it to dry his hair. Looking up at his hair, she noticed that he had not done all that well on that part, for tiny droplets of water was dripping down his face. His face that now smiled down at her with that devious smile of his, a smile that made her feel slightly faint at the moment. Trying to find some sort of stability in the whole situation she took one end of the towel around his neck and gently wiped the offending water off his face.

Georg grabbed her hand and started to kiss each finger, then moved slowly down her hand, gently touching her wrist with his soft lips. Maria felt her pulse quicken and in wonder, she felt her body respond on its own. Heat gathered in the pit of her stomach, and she felt her entire nerve system stand on high alert. She let her free hand travel boldly over his bare chest, making an effort into making her touch as feather-light as possible. The effect was instant as she felt her husband take a sharp intake of breath. Then he dropped her hand and embraced her with so much force that it took her breath away. The kiss progressed quickly and in seconds Maria had lost all desire to hold on to her nightgown, as it now floated down to the floor once more.

Maria lost all sense of the world around her, other than her husband kissing her with a passion that fuelled her desire to show him how much she loved him. They stood there in the middle of their bedroom kissing, and neither thought about getting ready for brunch – only the fact that they both needed to be close to the other.

The kiss lasted several minutes, and only when they were both breathless did their lips separate, but they stayed close together embracing each other. They were reluctant to let the other go.

As Maria's heartbeat slowed down again, she did a mental check of where they were and in what position they were in. Mentally, she checked that the drapes _were_ closed and the door _was_ locked, wasn't it? Suddenly she didn't feel so sure; she had no memory of them locking the door. That last thought proved to be crucial within the next few seconds.

Without any warning at all, they were both startled by the door being banged on, and someone trying to open the door. When it did turn out to be locked, both Maria and Georg breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Father…? M…" The loud voice of Gretl was heard through the door, but before she could finish her request, a loud hushing sound was heard.

"Shhh…be quiet, Gretl, Father and Maria will be down shortly, don't bother them…" It was the voice of Liesl, and Georg suppressed a laugh, as he could easily see his oldest trying to get her youngest sister to move away from the door.

Then Gretl could be heard again: "But why have they locked the door?... Father never locks his door…Why?"

"Oh, I don't know…they probably just wanted to be alone…I suppose…" Liesl tried to explain impatiently. Just then, both Maria and Georg heard the voices of the other children coming towards the door.

"What's up? Why are we not moving down into the dining hall for brunch? I'm hungry." This was Kurt, of course; the always hungry child would definitely be thinking about food. Georg chuckled along with Maria when they heard this, but some of the next comments silenced them yet again.

"Father and Maria have locked the door, why is that?" the ever-persistent youngest von Trapp child asked her brothers and sisters yet again.

"Oh, dear sister, they are probably doing grown-up things…like…well, you know…like making a baby or something like that…Come on now, we're all hungry, they'll come down when they are ready." Now it was Friedrich's turn to give yet another thing for his younger sister to think about.

"How do they make a baby?... Oh, a baby would be lovely, wouldn't it…Don't you think so, Liesl?" Gretl's small and ecstatic voice drifted through the door while the noises of seven children moving down the hallway drowned out whatever reply she had gotten from her siblings.

Maria was still standing, stunned, in her husband's arms. She felt him shake with suppressed laughter and, when he was sure that the children could not hear them, he broke down in laughter. It didn't take long for Maria to join him; she saw the tiny bit of humor in the whole situation, but still thanked God that the door _had_ been locked. In her inner mind, she saw the images of them standing in the hot kiss they just shared moments before, and then seven children stumbling in on them in this rather compromising situation. Now _that_ would have brought up several more questions from the children, probably more the younger ones, as it appeared the oldest ones did know some of the parts of where babies came from.

This fact was also what was on Georg's mind; he was suddenly aware of him missing out on the "father/son or daughter" talks about "the birds and the bees", that some of his children certainly were old enough to get now. But the last couple of years he had lived a separate life from his children, and never really noticed that the oldest ones were growing up to be young men and women. But this would have to wait for another time.

When they composed themselves, they both agreed that they should both get ready for brunch before the children would come up again. Maria hurried out to take a quick shower, and when she entered the bedroom wrapped in a huge fluffy towel, she noticed that Georg had not closed his shirt buttons. This made her blush and, slightly puzzled, she moved towards him. He noticed the small wrinkle in her brow and he knew what was on her mind. Her eyes gave her away as they were locked on his open shirt.

"What's wrong, darling?" Georg tried to sound as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but he could not hide his slight amusement of the whole situation.

With a small and frustrated groan, Maria exclaimed: "I thought we should get ready to go down for brunch. So why are you not finished dressing yet… I still have to find my clothes… and… and…" She flung her hands out in the air, to show him that they didn't have time for this.

"Well, my darling, I was just hoping that you would help me with these buttons of mine; since you clearly are the button expert in this marriage, I could really use some help." He winked at her and gave her a huge grin when he noticed her blush deeply.

"Oh, Georg, please don't tease me with that…I had no intentions of doing that…you know that night in the gazebo…you know where…I…oh, for heaven's sake, put on your own shirt, would you?" She tried to sound stern and mad, but this failed her big time as he only took one long stride towards her, pulled her into his embrace, and kissed her mercilessly. Maria failed her attempt to stay cross with him when she felt his mouth do some wonderfully amazing things to her state of mind.

When he went up for air, he stated: "I know that you never meant for it to happen, but it did, and do you know what it showed me?" She shook her head, as her speech seemed to have failed her. "It showed me that you're an amazingly passionate woman whom I was so lucky to get married to yesterday, and I'll always keep that night in my memory. That night was when our life together started, and we fully consummated our marriage last night. This I will forever treasure, and you should _never_ be ashamed of yourself, never!"

His words reached something deep inside of her, and she decided with herself that she too would, and should, treasure that night. She looked up at him with some newfound confidence, and the small gleam in her eyes told him with no words that she had accepted her actions and now wanted to seal it. With slightly shaking hands, she secured her towel around her body and then reached for the topmost button of his shirt.

Georg held his breath all the way through; he was afraid that he would lose control when he felt her delicate fingers move over his shirt. At one point, he inhaled sharply as one of her fingertips, by accident he decided it to be, gently caressed his skin, thus making it very hard for him to stand still and keep his body under control.

Maria noticed his shallow breaths and smiled inwardly, secretly pleased with herself that she could evoke such wonderful sounds from her husband. She started to experiment a bit, and at the last three buttons, she deliberately let her fingertips move over his skin. And sure enough, each time, Georg would take an extra breath of air. This filled her with more and more confidence. When the last button was closed, she took a deep breath and dared to look at him again. The fire in his eyes told volumes about how this small gesture had filled him with even more passion and love for her. It was a bit daunting at the moment, but she also felt at ease with him. She reached up and wove her fingers in his still damp hair, pulling him down for a kiss.

"Good God, woman, do you have any idea what you do to my poor state of mind here?" Georg breathed into her mouth and trailed a line of kisses down her jawline.

Maria just smiled shyly up at him, feeling the blush creep up her neck once more; his smoldering eyes did some amazing things to her own body. When she moved her arms down again, wanting to move away to get dressed, the towel slipped off her body and she just barely managed to catch it before it hit the floor.

When Georg noticed that she was desperately trying to cover up her body, he whispered: "Why even bother with the towel, my darling? You do know that I have seen all of you, it makes no difference if either you're in bed or standing up."

"Oh, I don't know…" She started to search her mind for a feeble excuse and when she found none, her new confidence caused her to just let the towel drop to the floor and then walk over to her closet. She could almost feel his burning eyes on her backside, but she had decided that two could play this game, whatever it was. Then she searched casually through her new clothes to find something suitable for traveling.

When she was finished dressing she turned around, only to find her husband still standing in the very same spot as she had left him in. He tried to look relaxed and cool, but she did notice the small twitch in the corner of his mouth, a sign that he very much tried to hide a huge grin.

"Whatever is the matter with you, darling? You look like the cat got your tongue." Maria walked over to him and reached a hand up to his face; then she tiptoed and kissed him gently on his cheek. When he didn't respond, she continued: "Well, shouldn't we get ourselves ready? I do believe we have seven children all wanting to know if we made a baby or not." She smiled at him and tilted her head looking at him. He seemed a bit out of balance, and she had a pretty good idea of the reason for him to be like this. Somewhere deep inside of her, she felt content and happy with herself. She had yet to fully realize why it felt so wonderful.

"Uhm…oh yes…yes, we must get ready…" He stumbled over his words, something that he rarely did. It had been the mentioning of making babies, and the fact that his children were waiting for them, that had pulled him out of his stupor. He shook his head in disbelief; his new wife had just played him a trick, turning the tables so to speak. A wide smile spread across his face; it sure would become fairly interesting to live together with this woman. But this, he gathered, he had already known from the first moment he laid eyes on her.

Before she could move away, he regained some sort of composure and tilted her head up with one of his hands, giving her a deep kiss that told her volumes about how pleased he was at this very moment. She smiled against his lips, letting him know that she too was pleased.

When they parted, they both took a few more minutes to get ready; hair still needed to be combed and shoes to be found. Then, finally, they were ready to go down and meet the family, and suddenly Maria felt very anxious about facing the children and all the inevitable questions that would come. Oh, she did hope that Gretl had forgotten her questions about locked doors and babies. The thought alone made her blush, and when she shared her worries with Georg, he only laughed and said: "Oh, yes, there _will_ be questions, but please don't fret too much about it, I'm sure they'll behave."

And in his own mind, he added, "I do hope that _Max_ will behave". If he only knew that he was wrong in so many ways.

They walked down to the dining room holding hands. Now there only laid one family brunch between them and their awaited honeymoon.

TBC….


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This got a bit lengthy... and took some time to get this right, with 7 rambunctious kids and one mischievous Max in the mix it got rather complicated... AND very awkward for poor Maria... ;)

**Chapter 2**

When Maria and Georg entered the dining room, they were greeted with the curious faces of seven children and one _very_ amused Max. It seemed as if he had been updated by Gretl on the locked door she had found when she had tried to enter their bedroom. Georg glared at his friend, trying to tell him to just be quiet, but as it often happened with Max, he usually did whatever he felt like.

"Ah, there you two are, running fashionably late on this fine morning… Whatever have you two been up to all morning?" Max grinned at them and knew he might have overstepped some fine lines of propriety, but this was his old friend, and though Georg might get angry with him, at the moment Max also knew that Georg, in time, would see the fun it the whole thing.

When Maria heard Max's words, and in them, the implication of them being so late was because they had been doing…eh…grownup activities, her face blushed scarlet red within seconds. She didn't fully register what Georg answered back, as the only sound she heard at the moment was the blood rushing to her head. Every other sound seemed to be muffled, and suddenly she felt rather dizzy. Her hold on Georg's hand was the only thing that kept her in an upright position.

But Georg must have said something that kept his friend from uttering another word – for the time being, that is. Maria saw Max raise his hands in mock surrender, and then he took a casual sip of his coffee but failed to hide the grin that still lingered on his lips.

"Oh, I know what Father and Fraulein Maria was doing…" This was Gretl speaking up, and before anyone of her siblings could stop her, she uttered: "…They were making a baby." She clapped her tiny hands together and jumped up from her chair, running to her father, who by now sat at the end of the long table. Maria sat on his right side. When the young girl reached her father, she practically leaped into his lap, hugging him close. Georg was so taken aback by her outburst that it took him a moment to collect his thoughts. He glanced over at his now crimson-red bride; this sight made him chuckle slightly. But he was not given much more time to admire the color of his wife, as his five-year-old daughter yet again craved his attention.

Gretl laid her chubby little hands on either side of his head, making him look straight into her brown eyes. George saw the tiny sparkles in her eyes, and he knew that his little girl really, _really_ , wanted a younger sibling.

"Father, were you and Fraulein Maria making a baby?" she asked with hope in her voice, and then, tilting her head sideways as if she was pondering over something, she added: "Father…how do you make a baby?"

Maria had just taken a sip of juice when this last question was heard, and the implications of this very childish question made her choke on the liquid in her mouth. Amid her coughing and gasping for air she heard her husband chuckle and give his daughter an, hopefully, adequate answer.

"Oh, sweetheart, well you see…" Georg paused for a moment scratching his chin, trying to find the right words to satisfy his youngest girl's curiosity. He took a quick look around the room and noticed his wife still trying to regain full control over her breathing. Liesl did her best in trying to help her by lightly patting her on her back. His old friend Max looked like the Cheshire cat, having caught his best friend in an awkward situation. For a split second, Georg glared at his friend, daring him to speak _one_ word, then his eyes caught the elaborate flower arrangement in the center of the table. This gave him an idea of what to say to his daughter.

"You see, when a man and woman get married, they often want to have a baby and they would make this baby by planting a tiny seed inside the woman's belly, just like when you plant flowers out in the garden. You have done this together with Maria and your siblings, right?" Gretl nodded her head eagerly, and Georg continued: "Well, just like the flower seed needs water to be able to grow, the seed inside the belly also needs to grow. It doesn't need water, but the woman does need to eat and drink more than she did before the seed was planted."

Gretl looked pleased with this answer and Georg kissed her on the cheek, then lowered her down on the floor so she could get back to her food. But instead of running to her seat she rushed over to Maria and exclaimed: "Please eat more pancakes, Fraulein Maria, you know, so the baby will grow big, real soon." She held on to Maria's arm and sent her a pleading look that was rather comical, given the situation they were in. Maria felt her face become red in an instant, not sure how she should react to the young girl's plea. All that she knew about the reproductive process was from books, and this somewhat stated that the chances of her and Georg having made a baby was very small, to say the least.

"Hear hear, do eat up Maria and make the little baby grow, and give my friend even more children to love." Max raised his glass in a mock gesture and grinned into it while he drank his juice. He winked at Maria, who blushed even more at this moment. But then she felt Georg's hand on her own, and she turned her attention to her husband. He smiled reassuringly at her and gently rubbed her hand with his fingers, trying to tell her not to think too much about Max's obnoxious comments.

Some of the other children began whispering amongst themselves, and by what Georg picked up around the table, they all seemed very excited about having another sibling.

Whenever the baby would come, in his quiet mind Georg was pleased that his children didn't seem to resent the thought of yet another von Trapp child.

"All right, everyone, no more talking about babies that have not even been announced yet, so if everyone would just please settle down and _eat_ your food. Thank you." Georg tried to get his children to think of other things and added: "You also have to start making plans on what you'll be doing together with Uncle Max in the next month while Maria and I are away on our honeymoon in Paris."

This last comment was all that needed for the children's focus to shift away from Maria and a possible baby. The older ones talked mostly of how exciting it would be to visit the grand city of Paris.

When Gretl was seated again, the other children began to talk amongst themselves. They were relieved that their father had not scolded their younger sister for being so forward. They all had their thoughts on why he hadn't been reprimanding their sister. In the old days, right after the death of their mother, he would have sent them to their rooms. But they all essentially came to the same conclusion: that Maria had forever changed their father and brought him back to them. These thoughts alone made every single von Trapp child giddy with happiness.

Georg more than felt this happiness radiating from his children. He saw it in their eyes when they occasionally stole a quick look at their father and Maria. What he saw was pure happiness and contentment, something that he had not seen in his children's eyes since before their mother had passed away. He gave them genuine smiles back, and he too felt complete in a way that he had not thought would ever happen again. They now happily chatted amongst themselves on plans for the following month.

Maria still felt the heat on her neck but hoped that the flaming redness had been reduced on her cheeks. Her head still buzzed with the words uttered by Gretl, and the following conversation that had transpired between father and daughter. Maria had no idea how Georg could speak so calmly about what they shared last night. In her own body, she still felt the tingling aftermath of their joining as husband and wife, and she tried to regain some sort of composure. In doing so, she looked around the table and what she saw made her heart warm. Every child looked more happy and more content than she had ever seen them. This alone made her feel more and more at home, and she just knew that their marriage was the window God had opened for her.

She was brought out of her reverie when Georg placed his warm hand over her own. Her body filled with instant warmth as she looked down at their hands laying on the table. She looked up at her husband, and the second their eyes met she felt the room around them fade away. Back in her mind, she wondered how this action seemed to have such a powerful effect on her. By all means, they were merely holding hands and looking into each other's eyes! Nevertheless, she felt the heat radiating from his hand, making her skin tingling with something yet so new that she hardly even knew herself what was happening to her. All she did know was that her pulse quickened slightly when he ever so gently began to caress her knuckles with his thumb.

Georg saw and took notice of every single little change in her breathing and coloration of her face, and gave her a small lopsided grin when he saw that her composure crumpled slightly.

"Are you all right, darling?" Georg whispered, leaning over to her so no one could hear him speak.

"Wha…" her voice squeaked, and when she felt his hot breath on her cheek she gave up on speaking. She merely just nodded her head, trying to give him a reassuring smile. He winked and smiled at her; then he raised her hand, bringing it to his lips. The kiss on her hand was short but held an untold promise on how much he too looked forward to being alone again.

He released her hand and then continued to eat his food, still very much aware of her presence right next to him. How could he not, when her unique scent of fresh mountain air and spring flowers filled his whole being? He tried not to let his façade crumble too much in the company of his children, and Max of course.

Remembering his old friend, he looked to the end of the table, where Max currently tried to look as if the tale of some of Louisa's new adventures was the most fascinating thing in the whole world. But when Georg looked closer he saw the small smirk that lingered on his friend's lips, and his eyes kept looking at the other end of the table. When Max noticed Georg looking at him, his smile broadened and, in a semi-mock toast he, lifted his coffee cup and saluted his old friend. At first, Georg glared at him, because he very well knew that Max knew how occupied Georg had been with his new wife. But in the end, Georg knew that it was all in good nature, and Max never had said one bad word about his marriage to Maria. Georg lifted his coffee cup and returned the gesture.

In the meantime, Maria had tried to focus on the food on her plate, but every time she saw Georg move or make conversation with one of the children, she felt her whole body and mind only focusing on one thing: _him._ Why was it that she could not even focus on doing a simple task like eating without her still thinking about her husband and what they had shared last night? And she even found herself beginning to daydream about what would happen tonight on the train; would they have a chance to be together like last night?

While still pushing her food around on the plate, her mind wandered to their honeymoon and everything that was going to happen the next month. She looked forward to seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and of course the famous opera house. But all of these glorious sights seemed to fade in comparison to what she was sure would happen in their hotel room. Pictures of them in a passionate embrace in a large bed filled her mind, and she felt the heat radiating from the pit of her stomach. Filling her with a newfound need, want, desire, yearning, to just be alone with her husband, she didn't know how to describe the emotions running wild in her body at that moment. All she knew was that she secretly wanted to bolt up from her chair and take Georg's hand and go away on their honeymoon, _right now_.

Just as these thoughts had entered her mind, she was pulled right out of her reverie when Georg gently touched her arm, giving her a somewhat knowing smile, as if he knew that her thoughts had, by no means, been on whether she would eat her pancakes or scrambled eggs first. The idea of him reading her mind like this made her blush even more.

"Sorry, darling, but Liesl just asked you a question." He smiled and nodded his head in the direction of his oldest daughter.

Feeling heat creep up her neck, she tried to look calm and poised when she turned her attention towards the teenager in question.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Liesl, I…well I…suppose I was drifting off a bit, I'm sorry. What did you want to ask me?" Maria smiled at the girl sitting next to her, hoping by all means that the young woman in front of her could _not_ read minds; the poor girl would be shocked in realizing what her new mother was thinking about doing together with her father.

Liesl didn't show any sign of her having any idea of where Maria's thoughts had been; she just smiled and said: "Well, when I heard that you're going to Paris," the young woman had a hard time hiding her delight in this fact, "I was just wondering if Father agrees of course if you could maybe buy a new designer dress from Paris? I saw one in a magazine not long ago. And since you know your way around making dresses, you could help Father finding the right dress for me?" Liesl's eyes were bright with excitement, and she already saw that her father was warming up to the thought of buying a new dress for her.

"Oh, I would love to help your father with that." Maria turned her attention to her husband, trying to see if he agreed to this project; she had no idea what his plans were for their trip.

"I can't see why we couldn't find time to do some dress shopping while we're in Paris, and we might as well go buy new clothes for everyone." When this last information was announced, the seven von Trapp children all shouted out in glee and started to talk all at once. Everyone tried to tell Maria and Georg, what they wanted.

When the uproar had subsided enough for Georg to be able to speak again, he added: "No need to talk all at once! I do know that Maria knows your sizes _very_ well, and she and I will be able to find clothes that will fit you all just perfectly." In his mind, he saw his children dressed in the play clothes he had once been rather repulsed by that Maria had made from her old drapes. He chuckled slightly at the thought, and reached over and placed his hand over hers.

Maria was comforted by his touch, but her calmness soon evaporated when Gretl's small voice piped up: "Would you also buy clothes for the new baby?" Why did the mentioning of babies make her blush so much? In the back of her mind, she knew the answer for that, and it included images of her and Georg _making_ a baby.

"All right, enough is enough! _No_ more talking about babies, and please just know this: we will tell you _when_ a baby is coming, and I can _assure_ you that no baby is coming right now." Georg's voice was firm and strict but he had a hard time hiding the small grin playing in the corner of his mouth, especially Max noticed this. And he knew that Georg secretly hoped that a baby would soon announce its arrival.

"Oh, I don't know about that, old friend. You _will_ spend a whole _month_ alone with your wife, and I'm sure you'll do other…eh activities…than just shopping for new clothes." Max laughed out loud when he saw his old friend's face going red, both from a little embarrassment and quite some anger as well.

"I said _no_ _more baby talk_ , and that includes you, my friend." Georg _was_ slightly angry with his friend but also felt that he needed to end this discussion on a happy note: "And I do hope you'll be able to keep up with my active children in the coming month; they can be quite a handful. Just ask the governesses that came here before Maria. They all failed in keeping my children in line; all it took was a headstrong young postulant to make them all behave." At this he looked lovingly at Maria, telling her how much he appreciated everything she had done for his family.

Max smiled at his friend. He saw the genuine love and adoration shining from his friend's eyes when Georg looked at Maria. He nodded his head as if to say, "You can count on me, my friend."

Everyone finished up with their brunch, and Maria and Georg went up to their bedroom to finish packing their suitcases. They both tried to work efficiently, as they had to leave in less than half an hour, but whenever they accidentally bumped into one another, they both had a hard time resisting the urge to kiss each other.

At one point, they both simultaneously just forgot whatever it was they were doing and gave into their need to be in the other's arms. The kiss started to be hasty and quick but it ended in a passionate kiss that made them both forget their schedule.

Maria had her hands wrapped around his neck, letting herself get lost in the wonderful kiss they shared. In the back of her mind, she realized that she acted a bit more freely now, more than she had last night. Her mouth did take initiative to change the pace of the kiss from time to time, letting her tongue dance teasingly with his. His response was immediate: his hands slid up her back, holding her close, then he took her face in his hands, returning the kiss with even more passion.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a soft knock on the door and the sound of Franz's voice: "Eh Captain!? Are you ready for me to take your suitcases down to the car? Your train leaves in an hour. Sir?"

Georg cursed under his breath; he had _not_ needed this interruption, but the second he saw his now crimson-red wife, he chuckled.

"Of course, Franz, they are ready. Please do come in." While he spoke, he hastily filled the last pieces of clothing into their suitcase. When the door cautiously opened, Maria made a beeline for the bathroom; her face's color had _not_ returned to its normal hue, and she would be mortified if she were to be seen by Franz with a face resembling a tomato.

The elderly butler did not look fazed by the situation. He had seen the hastily packed suitcase and the back of the fleeting bride, but he had seen far worse scenes in his lifetime working as a butler. With a curt nod, he took the two suitcases and hoisted a smaller traveling bag over his shoulder, then walked out of the room.

When Franz had left the room, Georg hurried over to knock on the door to their bathroom. "Maria, are you alright? Can I come in?"

Maria opened the door and smiled shyly up at him as if she wanted to apologize for her fleeing to the bathroom. Georg just smiled down at her and pulled her into his arms. He let a hand gently caress her cheek. His hand slid behind her ear and pulled her in for a short, reassuring kiss, letting her know that she had nothing to be sorry about.

"I suppose we might as well go downstairs before we get interrupted again." He sent her a quick wink and walked over to his nightstand to get his final personal things to bring on their honeymoon. Then they both walked down, hand in hand, to say goodbye to the family.

Maria felt a sense of giddiness that she had not expected herself to feel, and she wondered why she felt this way. And while she walked down the stairs with her husband, it dawned on her that within the next hour or so, they would be all _alone_ on a train bound for Paris. It was the _alone_ part that made her look very much forward to the next month. With so much time alone they would have time to do so many wonderful things together, both in the city of Paris, but also within their hotel room. This last thought was the reason that by the time they reached the hallway, Maria's cheeks had a slightly pinkish hue to them. When Georg looked down at his wife, he noticed both this and the wistful expression on her face.

"Whatever are you thinking of, darling?" Georg let his mouth just barely touch her temple, his hot breath tickling her short hair, sending shivers down her spine. Trying to regain her composure she shook her head a little, then looked down at their clasped hands.

"Oh, nothing in particular. I just…well, I…You know I'm just really looking forward to this trip to Paris; it's a dream come true. And to be quite honest with you, I still feel like this is all a dream." She looked sheepishly up at his now grinning face. This made her blush even more, as she saw that he perfectly well _knew_ what she had been thinking of.

"I can assure you, darling: this is _no_ dream. Everything you have felt so far and will experience in the future is _very much real._ " The last three words were whispered into her ear while he encircled her into his embrace. Maria felt her knees go slightly weak, and she had to hold on to his arm in fear of her losing her balance. Georg gently kissed her temple and held her close, letting her know that he was there for her, every step of the way.

While they stood there, they were suddenly aware of the children running down the stairs. They pulled apart slightly but still held hands. When all the seven excited von Trapp children stood around them, they all started to talk at the same time; everyone wanted one last word with their father and Maria. As so it did take a while before everyone had said their last goodbyes. All the while Franz was standing by the door waiting patiently. From time to time he would check his pocket watch, making sure they would not be late.

When the whole farewell scene had taken over ten minutes, Franz caught the eyes of Max and indicated, by pointing at his watch, that is was time for Georg and Maria to leave. Max was fast to cut into the still endless goodbyes from the children and announce that it was time for them to leave. Before Georg moved to the door, he gave his old friend one last pat on the back and made sure he had the contact information on their hotel, just in case.

Minutes later, Georg and Maria were finally sitting in the back of the car heading towards the train station. Maria rested her head, which was still spinning a bit, on her husband's shoulder, her hand rested just under her chin. They didn't speak much, only enjoying the peace that was within the car.

Maria let her hand glide over his chest, letting it rest right over his heart, feeling the steady rhythm under her fingers. Georg relished in the solitude they now shared, and his senses were so tuned into what Maria was doing, her warm hand sending sparks of heat throughout his body. He tried to look poised and calm, as he knew Franz would have every chance of looking back at them. But within him, his emotions ran wild and suddenly he found himself wanting, with every part of his body, to just be on the train already, alone with his wife.

It did not help calm his emotions when he suddenly felt her small hand travel to the center of his shirt, gently hovering over one of his shirt buttons. Without realizing it he held his breath, hoping beyond words that she would just let her hand stay still. When he suddenly felt her nimble fingers starting to slide in between two buttons he stilled her hand with his own.

When Maria felt Georg's hand over her own, she suddenly realized where her hand had been and she gasped in horror. The sound made Franz look into the rearview mirror but when he was met with a glare from his employer. He hastily returned his gaze on the road.

"What is it with you and buttons, darling?" Georg questioned in a whisper only meant for Maria to hear. Maria felt her face heat up, and she lowered her eyes to her hands lying in her lap.

"Oh, I don't know Georg…" Her face going redder by the second, her mind worked in overdrive to put together words that would help her describe what she felt. She twisted her fingers in nervousness, for she felt his devious grin and burning eyes on her; she didn't dare look at him just now. She knew her composure would crumble to pieces the second her eyes met his. Everything was still just so new to her and whatever it was that made her want to open buttons it sure had something to do with her passion and love for him, and her never-ending curiosity for what lay behind those buttons. But could she even tell him things like this, was that even acceptable in a marriage?

"Oh, darling, you don't have to answer my silly question, it doesn't matter. I'm just curious I suppose, and I do want to know what you think, what you feel. I want to get to know you even more," he whispered into her ear. His hot breath did not soothe her raging emotions, but she could feel that he meant every word he said.

In a split second, she let her mouth speak before thinking: "Those buttons always seem to be in the way of...of things...of you…of what I want to….I...I..."

Her mouth stilled and she hid her face in her hands. There it was, all out in the open; she felt ashamed of how she thought about ripping his clothes off every time they were together. That just _couldn't_ be normal.

Georg pulled her gently into his arms, trying hard not to laugh, as he knew the sound of laughter would only throw her even more off balance than she already felt. He smiled while he placed a tender kiss on her hair, letting his hand gently run over her shoulder. It seemed as though there was a very, _very_ passionate woman hidden within his wife. That thought alone made his heart swell with something bigger than love alone. He was amazed that God had granted him this second chance of finding love, a love that he had had no hopes of finding, not until he met Maria.

"It's all right, darling. You don't have to be embarrassed about it; it's only natural that you want to be close to me. This shows me that you are as passionate as I always believed you to be. Believe me: you do _not_ have to be embarrassed about this. To tell you the truth, I never really had a thing for buttons either…or zippers, for that matter." He lifted her chin with his hand and willed her to look at him. Her eyes were huge with wonder, and deep within them, he saw her love and passion for him as well. He nodded his head in affirmation of his words as he somehow felt that she had a hard time believing him to have the same distaste of buttons.

His words swirled around in her head; she replayed them several times, especially the last part where he declared that he also didn't like buttons _or zippers_ for that matter. The word 'zipper' echoed inside her head, and it suddenly dawned on her that she wore a dress with a zipper. Her over-sensitive mind began daydreaming about them being alone so he could help her get out of said dress so they could…well…be close, and explore the passion they so clearly shared. The thoughts whirling in her head heated her face even more, and as she was still looking up at him, he noticed this change immediately.

Georg had a hard time hiding the grin that threatened to break out on his lips. He was dying to know what played around in his wife's head. He had an inkling that it had something to do about the thing he said about buttons and zippers. He raised a questioning eyebrow to see if she would enlighten him on her thoughts.

When Maria saw his silent question, she gulped down a bit of air that seemed to have dislocated itself in her throat. She closed her eyes shortly and pulled from within her newfound confidence, however new and fragile it still was. Still blushing redder and redder, she opened her eyes and looked straight at him and decided to just let every emotion runs its course and let him know exactly what she thought about.

"Well, my darling…" Her voice was a low whisper, as she was very much aware of them being in a car with a driver that could almost hear anything they talked about in the back if they spoke loud enough. "I'll have you know that I'm wearing a dress with a _zipper_ , and if you have that much of a distaste of zippers, I suppose you'll have to help me get rid of it tonight when we're alone in our train compartment." While she spoke, her head rose higher and higher to his ear, and she sealed her statement with a short kiss just below his ear.

Georg both gasped out loud and gave a strangled laugh all at the same time: he had _not_ expected Maria to be so straightforward and a downright temptress! But seeing her eyes flicker with worry about what she had said, he soon found his composure and pulled her in for a kiss that soon had them forgetting just where they were at that moment. Maria held on tight to the lapel of his jacket, kissing him back with newfound passion and want.

Just as Georg was about to spread tiny kisses down her jawline and neck, they were interrupted by Franz clearing his throat. He had dared to take a peek in the rearview mirror again, and when he saw his employer kissing his new bride senseless he knew he had to get their attention as they had now arrived at the very busy train station. A place with many people who knew who Georg von Trapp was, and they would also know about the marriage between him and Maria. It would not fare well on the gossip part if they were seen in a hot embrace in their car. That was just not something people did publicly in the upper-class parts of society.

"Sir! Captain, we're at the train station, with 20 minutes to spare until your trains leave. Gives us plenty of time to get your luggage checked in and board the train." He gave the announcement in a swift and staccato manner; he still had to get used to seeing Captain von Trapp in this new role of a happily newlywed man. Franz had seen it once before with Agathe, but he had not dared hope to ever see the image of a happy Captain von Trapp again.

Georg cleared his throat and looked around him, and they were indeed at the train station. His mind and body were still buzzing with emotions from their interlude in the car, but he knew that they had to get a move on, so they could board the train on time. Just before getting out of the car, he winked mischievously down at Maria, who by no means had her blush under control. He felt a permanent grin on his lips and guessed that he looked downright silly and very much like a man who had just been kissing his new wife senseless. He couldn't care less of what people thought about his, or Maria's, appearance; that would be their problem, he decided.

He nodded his head in thanks to Franz, who held the door for him, then Georg moved around to open Maria's door. Maria took his offered hand for help and decided that she wouldn't let go of his hand until they were on the train. The loudness of the parking place in front of the train station seemed like a huge contrast to the silence they had shared in the car. Her nerves and emotions were still on high alert, and her whole body was tuning in to what Georg was doing; everything else around her faded away.

While they weaved their way through the crowd, Franz had managed to get hold of a luggage trolley. Maria's head was still buzzing with words they had shared in the car: _zippers, buttons, buttons, zippers._ She was so ecstatic over the whole prospect of going away with Georg for a whole month that she hardly registered where they went. Her only constant was her firm grip on Georg's hand and from time to time his arm when they were suddenly pushed by other people.

Within ten minutes, they had found their compartment and said a final polite goodbye to Franz, who would drive the car back to the house.

Georg silently closed the door and turned to look at his wife, who was looking at the relatively large double bed in the spacious compartment. He had made sure they had gotten the deluxe suite on the train, and when he too looked at the bed he was pleased with this. They did after all have a rather long train ride in front of them. Whatever to do with so much time?

Looking closer at his wife's attire, he noticed the well-hidden zipper in her dress when she lifted her arm to test out one of the bedside lamps. He remembered her suggesting that he should help her with the offending zipper tonight. He made a quick schedule check-in his head, threw caution to the wind, and decided to just help her with the zipper now. They had plenty of time this mid-afternoon to have a little alone time before dinner would be served on the train.

Maria turned happily towards her husband when she heard him approach. His eyes seemed to burn with a power and passion that almost made her knees buckle under her.

When he took her in his arms, she willingly opened up to him and by instinct, she rose on her toes giving him a gentle kiss. His hands roamed her back, and within mere seconds one hand found it's way to the hidden zipper. Maria was suddenly very much aware of just where his fingers were caressing her, and she broke the kiss and raised a questioning eyebrow. He grinned at her and lowered his mouth to her ear.

"Why don't I help you with this blasted zipper _now_?" His voice was a low timber and his hot breath tickled her hairline. Maria would have fallen to the floor if he had not held on to her with his other arm. Her emotions were running wild and she had no power over her vocal cords so she just nodded her head slowly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The train ride, and some private moments and Maria being out and about as a newly wedded woman, new feelings running inside her while still trying to remain composed while being with other people.

**Chapter 3**

Maria and Georg lay in a peaceful silence together in the bed, both feeling content and excited over the prospect of having a full month _alone_ together in Paris. The monotonous swaying of their train car had also lulled them into an almost slumber-like state. They were both thinking about what had already happened this day: the brunch with the family (with some slightly embarrassing moments). Maria still pondered about their…eh… _interlude_ in the car. Such a lot of new information about her husband had been revealed in the relatively short journey to the train station. Information that she knew he _didn't_ _share_ with anyone but her; she decided that she liked that very much.

When they had arrived at their train suite, they had taken no time in thinking rationally in any way. The magnetism that seemed to draw them together had hit them with full force, and the offending buttons and zippers had been opened, followed by clothes discarded carelessly on the floor or a nearby chair. In the next hour, everything else was forgotten and they shared a passion that had only intensified since last night.

Maria moved her head slightly, trying to find a more suitable resting place on Georg's shoulder. Her hand lay just over his heart, her fingers caressing his warm skin. She was amazed that the tiny movements she made seemed to send shivers through her husband; she noticed that he got goosebumps on his arms the more she moved her fingers. Maria smiled to herself and wondered what else there was to discover about her husband, and having been born with a slightly curious streak, she was very much looking forward to this new journey she would make together with him.

Georg craned his neck in an attempt to get a glimpse of his wife's face. When he saw the whimsical smile on her lips and a playful twinkle in her eyes, he wanted to know more of her thoughts and get to know everything there was to know about her. He took his free hand and placed it under her chin, willing her to look up at him. She complied immediately. Her smile widened, and she let every emotion she had inside show on her face, and he was delighted by what he saw.

"Hmm…you seem rather pleased about something, darling." He smiled broadly and winked at her. He knew why she looked so happy; he only asked so he could hear it from her.

"Well, I…I…oh Georg, I have never, _never_ imagined that marriage could be this…eh…wonderful, and filled with…love and…passion." Maria lowered her eyes, not sure how he would react to her words. But deep down, she was not worried that he would ever laugh at anything she would say unless it was meant to be a joke. Her insecurity was still lurking under her newfound confidence.

When her eyes met his again, the smile on his lips had only broadened, and he placed his hand behind her head, pulling her closer to his waiting lips. Maria willingly raised herself to give him a kiss that told him beyond words how much she loved him. The kiss was long and filled with passion, and they felt themselves fall deeper and deeper into the other's embrace, both craving to be closer to each other.

Had it not been for a short knock on the door, the kiss would have evolved into another interlude filled with even more love and passion.

The knock was followed with a short announcement from the conductor: "Dinner will be served in an hour."

When Maria had heard the knock, she had pulled away from Georg and had grabbed for the covers, which mysteriously had slid further down her body. She sighed in relief when she heard the conductor move down the corridor to the next compartment. Then she turned to find her husband grinning like a madman. She frowned slightly, but when she thought about it, she must have looked rather amusing.

Maria hit his arm lightly and tried to look angry, but failed miserably when he pulled her into his arms again. He places a small tender kiss just over her ear and whispered: "Don't worry, no one will walk through that door unless they are invited. I made sure to inform the conductor that we wanted the utmost privacy. He knows we're on our honeymoon."

Maria's eyes grew wide at this information, and within her over-stimulated mind, she concluded that it meant they would also _know_ , at least to some extent, _what_ they would be doing in there. The whole idea made her cheeks turn crimson, and this didn't go unnoticed by her husband.

"What's wrong, darling? Is it not alright that they leave us alone?" He smiled at her, trying to figure out why she seemed to blush just now.

Maria was flabbergasted and had no idea how to express her worry, or concern if you could call it that. She shook her head, trying to put words together that would make some sense.

"They _know_!" was all that came to mind, and she hoped he would understand, but since his raised eyebrow told her otherwise, she tried again: "They know that we…well, you know…what we…eh…are doing in here." Her voice was trembling slightly, and her eyes were filled with true worry about this matter. Georg saw all this in her eyes and tried not to laugh, as he knew she might misunderstand the whole thing.

"Oh, darling, you shouldn't worry too much about this matter. A lot of married couples travel on this train, and everybody knows _what_ married couples do behind their closed doors. No one would think twice about what we do, and why should we even care?" His voice was soothing for her somewhat growing nerves. Her quick-thinking mind also realized that she soon would have to venture out into a dining car with other people, people who would all notice the glow that seemed to be around herself and her husband. Anyone not blind would know they where newlyweds, and would all _know_ what they might be doing when alone.

When she told him this, he suggested that they could just eat in their compartment; it was big enough for them to do so. Maria contemplated this suggestion for a while, looking around the somewhat small compartment, though it did seem as if they could eat their dinner there. Then they could continue what they had been doing the past hour. This thought made her blush, and she realized that she might need the distraction of dining out among other people, for her to be able to keep a sane mind. Her mind seemed to be filled with one thing and one thing only: _him, her husband,_ who now lay in a waiting position with his arms under his head. He wore a smile that told her that he was rather amused by what he saw, his wife's mind working on overtime to find pros and cons for dining in their compartment.

Georg had decided that she should choose where they would eat their dinner. If he was asked, he would skip dinner and ravish his beautiful wife in every way possible. His grin broadened at the thought: a whole night alone with his wife, _in_ bed no less. That was a thought that could, and would, brighten up any man's day.

Maria noticed the changes within his face and smile, and when she also saw the twinkle in his eye she knew exactly _what_ was on her husband's mind. Her mind became fuzzy at this point, but she shook her head and looked around the room one more time. Still feeling drawn to her husband, she also knew that they would have all the time in the world to be _alone_ in the coming month, so she made up her mind.

"Well… you know we do have a whole _month_ to ourselves, so I gather we would get plenty of alone time…to…eh…you know…be together…in bed." Her eyes told him in more than one way that she was looking forward to this.

He grinned and nodded his head in agreement. Although he would have loved to spend the evening in bed, he acknowledged the fact that they might also need time around other people. Then they both rose from the bed and tried to find suitable clothes for an evening of fine dining.

Within the next half hour, they had dressed and were now ready to walk down to the dining car. Maria held her trembling hands clasped together in front of her, but when Georg saw this, he gently took both of her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. His kiss calmed her down a little, but she still felt butterflies in her stomach. She tried to send him a brave smile and raised herself to give him a small kiss.

Georg groaned inwardly, as she made it quite hard for him to not just abandon their dinner plans and zip down the dress she had put on; her mouth was doing wonderful things to his mind and body. When Maria felt his searching hands on her back, she pulled away from him, raising a challenging eyebrow and asked: "What are you doing, darling? I thought you wanted to go dining with me." She tried to look disappointed, but when he just gave her his lopsided, wicked smile, she failed miserably in her attempt. Her laugh rang out in their small compartment, and he pulled her in for a hug while he whispered in her ear: "I do want to eat dinner with my beautiful wife, and I want to show the whole world that she is _mine_. But she is making it quite hard for me to concentrate on anything but her when she chooses to wear my favorite dress, a dress with a zipper no less, a zipper that hinders me to just ravish her right here and now." He looked down at her blue dress, the dress she had worn on that night in the gazebo where they confessed their love for one another. That dress would forever hold a special place in his mind and heart.

When the word _ravish_ registered in her mind she pulled back a little; she was still not used to hearing him speak such bluntly and brazen words of endearment. Georg noticed her blush and grinned down at her; he knew that she was still apprehensive about the intimate side of their marriage, and would need more time before she would get used to hearing him talk like that. He just hoped that she soon would be more at ease when they were alone.

Maria shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She took a deep breath of air and decided that this night would be a chance for her to get used to being together with her husband out among other people. How many people could there be on one train, anyway? She gave Georg a reassuring smile and took one of his hands, letting him know that she was ready.

They walked out in the corridor and turned left to go to the dining car. The corridor was quite narrow, but they somehow managed to walk side by side anyway. Georg held his arm around her shoulders, gently leading the way. Two times they had to make way for other passengers walking the opposite direction; when this happened, Georg merely slid in behind her letting his hand gently rest on her hip.

Both times Maria demurely lowered her eyes, as she feared the other passengers would all see where her thoughts were. It was hard for her to _not_ think about Georg, as the hand on her hip was sending heat waves to her stomach. Nor did it help that he at one point let his thumb gently circle over her hipbone; this caused shivers to erupt down her spine. If he had not held her with both arms, her knees would surely have buckled under her.

When the last passenger had moved away, Georg glanced at his wife, and he noticed the slight pink tinge adorning her cheekbone. He winked and gave her a knowing smile, then he lay his arm securely around her waist, and led her to the dining car.

Maria still felt lightheaded while she walked down the corridor with Georg. She wondered if the seemingly endless flow of butterflies in her stomach would subside with time. Or would it always be this tantalizing to merely walk around with her husband? Her senses were still on high alert when they entered the dining car.

There were several other passengers already seated by the tables at the windows. Maria was astounded by how they had managed to make the dining car look bigger than it really was. And the whole décor was polished and refined; it sure was a place that she would have never dreamt of ever dining. She was still admiring the décor when a waiter approached them, holding a leather-bound book.

"Sir, Madam. What can I do for you tonight?" the young waiter asked with a small bow. He opened the book in his hand, ready to find them a seat.

"I do believe we have a reservation for tonight. Captain von Trapp is the name," Georg said swiftly. The waiter shortly looked into his book and nodded his head.

"Ah, here we are, Captain and Baroness von Trapp, please follow me. I've placed you right here." He pointed to a table at the last window, where they actually would have some form of privacy. Maria was relieved by this. The waiter pulled out one chair and motioned for Maria to take a seat. Her nerves were still on edge, but she placed herself on the chair and let the waiter help her get settled. She nodded her thanks to the waiter; she feared that her vocal cords might not be of any help to her just now. The waiter pulled out a menu card for them.

Georg watched his wife closely, and he noticed every emotion running over her features. She had not managed to keep her blush under control, a thing he thought was quite endearing if one would ask him. He sat down on his chair and took the offered menu options from the waiter, who then moved away from the table so they could make their final decisions.

He glanced down at the short menu options there were on the train, then looked up at his wife, who now sat nervously in front of him. She tried to look calm, but Georg noticed that she seemed uncomfortable in some way. Trying to get her mind off of things, he said:

"All right…we have three options: veal, chicken, or fish. What would you like to have tonight?"

_You_! was the first word coming to her mind, but the second her mind registered what she had thought she felt her cheeks going even redder. She sure hoped that the word had stayed inside her head, and she looked up at Georg, but he was merely looking at her with slightly raised eyebrows.

"Eh…Oh, I don't know…I think I'll try chicken." She managed to say the words without too much quivering in her voice.

Georg smiled at her and looked at the menu once more: "Hmm, I think I'll try the veal." Then he placed the menu on the table and caught the attention of their waiter.

When the waiter came over, Georg placed their order and asked for a bottle of wine and some water.

"Very well, Captain and Baroness. I'll be right back with your wine and some appetizers for you to enjoy before your meal arrives." With a curt bow, he moved away from the table.

When they were alone again, Maria smiled shyly at him. Somehow she had no idea what to say, which was a rare thing when it came to her. Georg gave a reassuring smile and reached over the table, offering his hand to her; she placed her hand in his without hesitation. The comfort and warmth from his hand did calm her nerves slightly.

"So, are you pleased that we decided to have dinner here?" He squeezed her hand and let his thumb gently caressed her knuckles. He noticed her face change color, and he knew her thoughts were on what and where they could have been.

"Uhm…yes, I'm very pleased. It looks beautiful here, and this also gives us a chance to just talk and be together." Her voice trembled a bit at the start but soon she found her confidence, and her voice slowly became more steady.

"I'm happy that you like it here. I really just want to spend time with you, no matter where we are," Georg said, then pulled his hand away as he noticed their waiter returning with their wine and appetizers.

Maria looked a bit weary at her wineglass, and when the waiter had left them alone again Georg asked: "Are you all right?"

"Well, it's just that I've never tried to drink wine before." She looked at Georg with worry in her eyes; would he think any less of her if she didn't drink wine? When she saw his surprise by her question, she quickly added: "It's not like I don't want to try, I'm just not certain that I'll like it all that much." She noticed his smile widen slightly, and she felt more at ease.

"It's all right, you just give it a try and then if you don't like it, just don't drink it," he stated and nodded his head towards her glass of wine.

Maria took the glass and let the aroma of the wine fill her nostrils. It stung a bit, but it had a nice sweet fruity aroma as well. She shrugged her shoulders and raised the glass to her lips, and let the amber liquid into her mouth. The tiny sip she took tasted rather well in her opinion, though it did burn on the way down her throat. But she soon decided that she actually liked the wine very much. She took another larger sip, and then smiled at her husband, nodding her head, letting him know that she liked it. Georg laughed a bit and took the glass gently out of her hand.

"Please remember that drinking too quickly will cause you some dizziness." He chuckled a little when he saw her horrified expression. He quickly added: "It's all right; I just don't want you to get too tipsy. I do want you to feel well later tonight." He winked mischievously at her.

Maria thought about his words and what they meant, and when his true intentions were clear to her, she felt her face heat up rather quickly. She couldn't help but grin a little herself; of course, they would be intimate later tonight, and she secretly looked forward to this too. She just nodded her head in consent, as she had no idea what she would say to him in response.

She was saved by the bell, so to speak, when their meals arrived at their table. So the next few minutes were spent in silence while they ate their dinner. Maria was a bit surprised at how relaxed and easy-going her husband was during their meal. She gathered that he had dined in places even more refined and extravagant than this train's dining car. But for her, it was a new experience, and she absorbed everything and tried to save as many memories that she could. She never wanted to forget this night, or this honeymoon altogether.

When they both had eaten almost half their dinner, they started to talk again. Georg tried to make the conversation light and casual, hoping that it would help Maria feel more at ease. He had noticed how captivated she had been with the whole setting and where they were dining. It didn't take long for Maria to finally relax enough so she could speak with her husband about how things might be going at home. Soon they also talked about the various sights they both wanted to see while they were in Paris. At one point, Georg asked if she wanted to go out in the countryside for a couple of days, to see a real French wine château. Maria was delighted with this idea.

Soon, they had both finished their dinner, and Georg noticed that Maria looked thoughtful, as if she was trying to figure out what they would do now. Georg knew very well what _he_ wanted, but he knew that being forward to a request like that out in the public might not help Maria lose some of her tension.

"So, did you enjoy your dinner?"

"Yes, very much. I had no idea one could eat such fine foods on a train ride." Maria sounded surprised and astounded by this fact.

"Ah, well, it sort of comes with the deluxe travel package that I bought for us. I wanted you to have the best, especially on our honeymoon" Georg explained and shrugged his shoulders; he didn't give much thought over such matters.

"Thank you," was her short reply. She didn't know what else to say; it was still a bit overwhelming for her to be on their honeymoon.

"You're welcome. So, what do you want to do now? We could eat the dessert, or we could make our way into the lounge car to have a glass of champagne to celebrate the beginning of our honeymoon and toast to a long and wonderful marriage." Georg thought it best to give her some options that didn't include them going to their compartment just now. The evening was still young, and they would have all the time in the world once they were in Paris.

"Oh, I would love to have a glass of champagne, I've never tried that." Her voice was excited, and she looked shortly at her glass of wine that was now only half-filled. She had held back and only sipped her wine occasionally during their meal. She guessed one glass of champagne on top of that would be all right.

Georg noticed her looking at her wine glass and smiled knowingly at her when she looked up at him again. She smiled back and was relieved that he seemed to be pleased with her decision.

They rose from their seats and walked out of the dining car. On their way out, they were met by their waiter.

"I do hope everything was to your satisfaction, Captain?"

"Indeed it was, thank you for your service. Have a nice evening," Georg replied and took Maria's hand, and then they walked into the lounge car that was located right next to the dining car.

When they arrived, Maria noticed that other passengers had already moved into the lounge as well. Georg did a quick search and soon found a couch in a somewhat secluded corner; he motioned for Maria to follow him. When they were seated, they were soon approached by another waiter.

Georg ordered their glasses of champagne, and the waiter quickly came back with two long-stemmed glasses half-filled with the golden bubbling liquid.

Maria had taken the short waiting time to look around the lounge. It was furnished with plush couches and small round tables where the passengers could place their glasses of cognac, brandy, or whatever drink they might prefer. There was a middle-aged woman seated not far away from them that caught Maria's eye. Maria nodded in a silent greeting, and the woman did the same, though she did look rather snobbish if one would ask Maria. The woman sat next to a man that Maria assumed was her husband; he was engaged in a heated debate with another passenger about one thing or another. The woman did talk occasionally with another woman sitting close by, but she seemed bored out of her mind.

Maria stopped looking the minute their glasses of champagne came. She thanked the waiter and turned slightly towards Georg. Her eyes shone with happiness as they toasted to their coming honeymoon and new life together. Georg smiled and motioned for her to take a sip of the champagne.

Maria let the golden liquid flow into her mouth. The bubbles tickled her mouth and she couldn't help smiling even more.

"Hmm, this tastes nice, no wonder Liesl is so impatient about tasting this," Maria mused and then added: "You do know that she'll soon be old enough to try this, and do other things that her siblings can't. She'll be a woman soon." She touched Georg's arm tenderly.

"I'm glad you like it." He nodded his head towards her glass, then he sighed a little: "And yes, I know our oldest is growing into a fine and wonderful young woman. I'm thrilled and thankful that you came and opened my eyes so I could see my children again." Georg gently took her hand that lay on his arm and squeezed it lightly. Then he raised their still joined hands to his mouth and gave her hand a quick kiss.

Maria was very much aware of where they were seated, and she couldn't help blushing slightly when she felt his warm mouth on her hand. Georg grinned knowingly, then he took her glass and placed both their glasses on the small table and then pulled her closer to him, so she had her head resting on his shoulder. Not knowing where to put her other hand, she placed it on his chest close to her chin.

Georg had his arm around her shoulder and fully enjoyed just sitting there with his wife, not bothering with who saw them sitting so close or not. He felt her relax in his arms, and he was relieved that she seemed more at ease about them showing the world they belonged together.

Maria relished in the warmth that surrounded her; Georg's arm that lay around her shoulder gave her a sense of security. She inhaled deeply and let her mind and body relax in his arms. Soon everything else but her husband seemed to fade away, and it was only them sitting on the couch.

Georg did his best to look calm and poised, but when he felt her hand begin to slide over his chest in slow circles he tensed slightly. He could only assume that the movement was done unconsciously, as he by now knew his wife well enough to know that she still would be very hesitant about showing any sign of public affection. He had seen how she had blushed when they had merely walked down the corridor of the train.

Nevertheless, her hand did not stop its journey over his chest, gently gliding over the fabric of his shirt. He was wearing a tie, but her small hand sneaked under the thin piece of clothing, finally stopping its path. Georg held his breath, not sure what she was up to; he still believed her actions were unintentional so he kept himself quiet and did a quick scan of the room around them. No one seemed to have noticed where his wife's hand was at the moment, and he was relieved by this fact.

Her hand rested under his tie for several minutes, her fingertips still moving gently over his shirt, a caress that had him forgetting they were out in the public. The touch seemed innocent enough but his body and mind boiled with heatwaves of passion. He marveled at how this tiny touch could bring him on the edge so fast; he took a shallow breath and willed his body to calm down again.

Suddenly, he felt her hand shift slightly, and then her fingers found the small gap between two buttons, causing her fingertips to brush gently over his skin. This action caused him to gasp out loud and he quickly placed his hand over hers.

When Maria felt his hand on hers, she looked to where her hand was located and gasped out loud. She suddenly remembered just where they were and she quickly looked around.  
To her dismay, the haughty lady she had previously greeted was now staring openly at them, with disapproval written all over her face.

Maria pulled her hand out of his grasp and hid her face in both her hands. When Georg noticed this, he too looked around and when he met the eyes of the lady sitting close by, he knew why his wife had acted so horrified. Her eyes told with no words that she disapproved _very_ much of how close they were sitting and what they were doing.

Georg placed his other arm gently around Maria's shoulder, fully engulfing her in his embrace as if making a statement to the lady that he by no means was sorry for what they were doing. He then continued to glare openly at her, as if daring her to speak one word. Suddenly, the woman found her companion very interesting, and she started to whisper things to the other lady. When she too started to look at Georg, he gave her the same glare and chuckled slightly. Oh, the obnoxious people that were present in the upper-class these days; he couldn't, and wouldn't, careless of whatever they thought about him.

When Maria heard him laugh she looked up at him with questions in her eyes. Whatever could be so funny at a moment like this? She was still horrified beyond words by her actions, and she could hardly see anything remotely funny about the situation. When Georg met her eyes, she saw the twinkle and mirth in them, and she couldn't help smiling at him. But she still raised a questioning eyebrow, wanting to know what he found so amusing.

"Darling," he whispered into her ear, not wanting the nosey ladies to hear what he spoke to his wife, "I think we should retire before those two," he nodded his head in the general direction of the women, "decide to get us kicked out of here."

Maria turned her head slightly and saw the women still looking at them, though it was more subtle.

"Oh, Georg, I'm so sorry for this, I didn't…I wasn't…oh, I don't know what came over me." Maria's voice trembled with worry and embarrassment over her actions.

"I do." When Maria only looked at him, puzzled when hearing this statement, he clarified: "I do know what came over you: the very same thing that has been on my mind the entire evening seeing you in that dress."

Maria was shocked by his words, and her mouth formed a silent "o" in astonishment over his rather blunt words. Her face turned crimson the second she fully registered what his words meant. That he too was looking forward to them to be alone. Georg chuckled over her shock, then rose and pulled her up with him. Sending a smile and a polite nod in the direction of the nosey ladies he walked out of the lounge cart with one arm wrapped around Maria's shoulders.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still on the train ride... just fluffy that's it... I think :D

**Chapter 4**

Georg closed the door to the lounge, and they walked into the corridor. Maria was somewhat relieved that they were finally away from the prying eyes of the two ladies, and everyone else for that matter. Georg felt her relax more and more the closer they came to their train compartment. He slowed down slightly while he tried to get a closer look at his wife; her face was calm with an eager expression. When Maria felt him slow down she looked up at him, trying to figure out what was on his mind.

Georg smiled widely down at his rather puzzled wife. He saw the want and desire in her eyes, and she silently asked why he by all means delayed their arrival to their compartment. He winked at her and bent down, capturing her lips in a kiss that promised her more to come soon. Maria leaned into the kiss with a hunger that told him that she wanted more, but her conscious mind also held back slightly, as they were still out in public. His mouth did some mind-melting things to her state of mind, and she soon forgot where they were standing.

They were so occupied with each other that they didn't notice what was going on around them. Suddenly, they heard a strangled cough and someone else gasping out in surprise. Georg reluctantly pulled away from Maria and turned his head towards the intruding sounds. Lo and behold, there stood none other than the two haughty ladies from the lounge car. He cringed inwardly, but held his façade and gave them a short wave of his hand in a somewhat mock greeting. Then he turned towards Maria again and had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Her face looked horrified by being "caught in the act" once again. She hid her face in his chest, hoping with all her might that the ladies would just disappear.

Seconds ticked by and, with outraged puffs of air emitting around them, the two women walked past the still embracing couple. When they were at the very end of the corridor, Georg looked one last time at them, and he knew that they would forever be appalled by his and Maria's sudden public display of affection. For himself, he couldn't care less, but he knew that Maria would be on edge tomorrow when they would eat their breakfast in the dining car, and there would be a slight chance of them meeting the snobby ladies once again. In that instant, he decided to order their breakfast to be delivered to their train compartment.

Georg more than felt his still shocked wife tremble in his arms. He gently kissed her forehead and whispered to her: "Please don't think too much about those two. They are snobs who have never been fortunate enough to experience the special thing called love that we do."

Maria gave him a grateful smile and raised herself to give him a short kiss on his cheek. She knew that they shared something wonderful, something that would forever keep them together, and for that, she was forever thankful. She just had to get used to other people reacting differently to their love and passion they so clearly shared.

Georg took Maria's hand in his and walked the short distance to their compartment. When the door was closed and securely locked, Georg took his wife in his arms, just holding her close. He felt that she was still somewhat shell-shocked over the incident in the corridor. She would need some time to calm herself down. He looked around and decided that the small couch in the compartment would be a perfect place for them to find peace again.

When Maria felt him pull her towards the couch, she was secretly relieved that he wanted her to calm down before they would do anything else. Her mind reeled with the various possibilities of how this night would progress. But feeling his arms lying securely around her shoulders, she calmed down and let her mind and body rest.

While Georg sat there, he thought about what had happened. He hoped that Maria had not been so upset over the whole affair that she would withdraw herself from the budding intimacy that they had only just started to discover together.

Suddenly, he became aware of what Maria was doing. Her hand lay on his chest just over his heart, and her fingertips drew small circles on his shirt. This tiny movement of her fingers caused Georg to hold his breath as he felt his whole body ignite with passion, and he still feared that moving too soon would scare her off. Seconds ticked by, and soon he felt her fingers moving in a lazy and slow-motion over his shirt. When they hit the barrier of his tie he looked down and noticed her calm face. She seemed somewhat unaware of what her body was doing to him, but suddenly, he noticed a small and knowing smile forming on her lips. He held his breath, letting her make whatever move she wanted.

Maria pulled in a short breath of air to regain focus and then moved her finger under his tie. She was now very conscious of just where she wanted her fingers to be at that moment. She felt his body heat through the shirt, and her mind only thought about one thing: feeling his hot skin against her fingertips.

Georg tried to keep his breathing under control; he rested his head on the couch with a wry smile playing around his lips. He had an inkling of just where his wife was trying to move. Those annoying buttons she seemed to loathe so much, at least when they where alone, had to be her focal point. Soon enough, his suspicion was confirmed as he felt her nimble fingers trying to pry one of his buttons open.

Unknowingly, Maria groaned out in frustration when her mission seemed to fail her. Why was it so difficult to open a button with one hand? Oh and that annoying tie just seemed to be in the way. She tried to move the offending tie out of the equation by moving it slightly over to one side.

Georg chuckled when he saw her attempt to move his tie out of her way, and then he rose himself up slightly without them breaking contact. Maria looked up at him with a silent question in her eyes. He took the opportunity to give her a quick kiss and then started to unfasten his tie. Maria turned her eyes down in shyness; she had not wanted him to be so aware of where she wanted to go.

"Ah, that's much better, don't you think, darling?" Georg winked at her when she looked at him again; he smiled knowingly when he saw a small blush creep up her neck. He pulled the tie away from his neck and carelessly threw the small piece of clothing on the small table. Maria moved her eyes away from him and stared for a few seconds at the discarded tie, and then she looked back up at him with a small twinkle in her eyes.

"Hmm…much better, I…" Her voice failed her as she had no idea what to say in response. She was not used to this kind of banter, and she looked sheepishly at him, hoping that he understood.

Georg smiled and pulled her back into his arms, kissing her temple. Maria let her head rest on his shoulder, and soon her hand found its way to its previous location. When her second attempt to open the button with only one hand failed her yet again, she sighed, sat up, and turned her body around so she was partly facing him. Now that she had her other hand free to assist in her mission, her eyes where fully fixed on her task at hand, not daring to look at him just now.

Within seconds, she had successfully opened his topmost button and smiled triumphantly to herself, but Georg noticed the smile and chuckled. When she heard his laugh she looked up at him, and what she saw made her face burn. She was still unsure of what she was doing was even acceptable. But when she looked closer, she realized that he was _very_ pleased with what she was doing. His eyes burned with passion and love. The ball of fire in her stomach coiled into a blazing fire that took her breath away. She sat motionless for a few seconds, thinking about what to do now.

"Please do continue," Georg stated shortly. He was amazed at what this seemingly small gesture of opening his buttons for him did to his state of mind. He saw that she needed some encouragement in moving on, so he continued: "You do know that I've realized that you are the button expert in this marriage, so you might as well help me with my buttons." He gave her a mischievous wink and smile, gently letting one of his hands caress her cheek. Then, gently taking one of her hands in his, he placed it on his shirt again.

Maria was still somewhat shocked that he was so casual about the whole thing. How could he be like that, when her insides felt like burning up in flames? She tried to focus on her hand that lay on his chest, and drew in a long breath of air, trying to calm herself down a bit. Then she started to unbutton the rest of his shirt, her eyes only focused on the task at hand.

When she reached his belt buckle she paused slightly, not knowing what to do with herself. Georg helped her by pulling his shirt out of his trousers so she could undo the rest. With shaking hands she spread open his shirt, letting her hands travel up his torso. She felt him tense up under her fingers, and she felt in awe of how much an effect she had on him. Still smiling to herself, she let her own body rise slightly over his, giving him a short kiss on his chin. Her lips lingered for a short while and then traveled up his jawbone, finally reaching the spot just below his ear. Her hands rested on his upper body, the heat from his naked skin burning her hands and sending shivers through her body.

Georg had tried to hold his hands at his sides, but when he felt her small kisses on his chin and finally on the very sensitive spot under his ear, he took her in his arms. Her small frame was now fully resting over his own. They were almost laying down on the couch, something that Georg didn't mind one bit.

Maria kept kissing him under his ear; she knew he liked that. With a huge satisfied smile on her lips, she pulled away slightly, or as far as his arms would allow her. She let her head rest on her folded hands on his chest; she knew he was pleased with her actions as she saw the passion in his eyes. Still not sure how she could express herself vocally in a situation like this, she merely just lay there with slightly raised eyebrows, asking silently what he would want her to do now.

Georg was still amazed at how easy it was for her to throw him off balance with the smallest of gestures, and as she lay there looking at him, she was radiating some form of new confidence that he was very, _very_ pleased that she had finally found. He still saw the tiniest trace of her insecurity lurking in the corner of her eyes, but he knew she still needed time to fully be at ease when they were alone together.

Giving her a mischievous grin, he let his hands travel around her body, finally resting on her back, just hovering over the zipper in her dress. When she felt his fingers fumble slightly with the tiny zipper, she had to suppress a small giggle escaping her lips. But he did hear the small sound coming from her, and he raised an annoyed eyebrow when he looked at her. His annoyance soon evaporated when he saw his smiling wife.

"Oh, so you find this amusing, do you, my darling? Why do they even make zippers on dresses?" He huffed out in slight frustration, but he could also see why she thought this situation was rather comical.

Maria just smiled back to him, while she was somewhat pleased that he too could get annoyed with things getting in the way of…of them being together. Finally, she decided to help him. She lifted herself away from him and turned her back towards him, giving him a clear view of her back. She heard him chuckle at her actions, and she was happy that he seemed to be thankful for her solution to his problem.

Georg laid his hands on both her shoulders, gently rubbing her neck with his fingers; he bent down and lightly kissed her neck. This made Maria slightly dizzy with anticipation of what there was to come. Then she felt him move his hands to the offending zipper, and within mere seconds he had it opened. The blue dress hung loosely around her shoulders; with an unnerving gentleness, he slid the fabric over her shoulders. Maria felt shivers run up and down her spine, especially when she felt his mouth follow his hands over her skin. His hot breath lingered over the edge of her camisole, gently nipping her sensitive skin.

The dress pooled around her waist, and she felt that Georg had started to gently tug the camisole free so he could pull it over her head. She held her breath and relished in the feelings and emotions running through her body at this point. Still the somewhat shy and inexperienced new bride, she was very much aware of everything that went through her body. She wanted to learn everything that she could about this wonderful new experience.

Within seconds, Georg had managed to pull her camisole over her head and now had free access to her upper body, though with her back still turned his way. But looking at his wife's back was not unpleasant in any way, so he took a few seconds to just admire the beauty of his wife. He saw some slight tension in her shoulders, and he gathered that she was silently wondering what took him so long to move again.

"Hmm…much better. No more zippers getting in the way of what I have wanted to do this entire evening." He touched her sides with both hands, gently following the curve of her back, and then he let one hand lightly caress the length of her spine. This caused Maria to take a long shuddering breath; her whole body felt on fire at this moment, and she wasn't even looking at her husband.

Maria felt the shivers intensify when she again felt his hot breath on her neck, tickling the short hair on her nape. Georg let his mouth travel over her shoulders, letting his hands travel around her waist, caressing her abdomen. Unconsciously she let her own body lean back in his embrace, needing to be closer to him. Georg grinned into her heated skin when he felt her move closer to him; it seemed as if she was eager to be close to him. He liked this thought very much.

"Why don't we move to the bed?" he whispered into her ear, gently pulling her with him when he rose from the couch. Maria felt her legs being slightly shaky as she now stood there with his arms around her waist, her dress slowly sliding to the floor. She leaned into his chest, feeling the heat from his body against her back.

Maria turned slowly around in his arms, and looked up at him with timid eyes; she only saw the burning passion in his dark blue eyes. She nodded her head in agreement, also trying to give him a confident smile. Her eyes scanned over his upper body and she noticed that he had not removed his shirt. With a twinkle and a small smile playing in the corner of her mouth she laid her hands on his shoulders.

"Well…eh…I would think that you're slightly overdressed…are you not, darling?" Her voice was a mere whisper, but Georg heard her attempt to sound suave and seducing. He grinned down at her with a gleam in his eyes that told her how much he appreciated her approach.

Georg only nodded his head, giving her his assent for her to continue what she so obviously wanted to do. Maria felt heat rush to her face but held his gaze while she slid her hands under his shirt, pulling it down his arms. When the offending piece of garment was removed, Maria let her hands glide over his warm torso, exploring every dip and curve of his body. Soon her hands drifted down towards the edge of his trousers, Georg held his breath, not sure what she would do now.

When meeting the barrier of his trousers, she was unsure what to do next. What was he expecting from her? She peeked up at his handsome face with questions in her eyes, questions that she felt unable to put into words. Georg saw the various emotions flicker in her eyes, and knew he had to take the lead from this point.

"Come here," Georg stated shortly, taking her hands in his, gently pulling her towards the bed.

When they were standing next to the bed, he pulled her in for a short kiss, or so he thought. Under her insecurity lay a powerful need, passion, and want to be closer to her husband. Her kiss and everything else in her body language told Georg just how much she wanted this, wanted _him._

Georg gently pulled away from her, grinning widely when he heard a small whimper of protest when their lips parted. Maria dared to look into his now smoldering eyes, making her body respond with heatwaves running from the pit of her stomach to the tips of her toes.

Giving her a mischievous wink, he gently scooped her up in his arms and then placed her on the bed. Within seconds, he had taken off his trousers and joined her on the bed. He lay on his side with her body close to his.

"Thank you for loving me. Thank you for opening your heart to me. Thank you for being you. Thank you for opening my eyes. Thank you." His voice was a low timber and filled with raw emotions that had Maria spellbound. Her head tried to keep up with all that happened within her, but when she heard his loving statements she gave up trying. Georg kissed her temple, letting small kisses rain over her face. When his mouth was only millimeters from her ear, he whispered: "I love you, and I want you to fully enjoy what we're doing tonight. I love you."

Maria felt her insides boil with heat and passion, with so much intensity that she had never experienced before. She trusted Georg with all her heart and body, and that night she experienced new highs of passion that she had never thought possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally in Paris, three weeks after the wedding, and what a difference three weeks makes in the life of Maria now fully embracing marriage life to the fullest. More fluff... :D

# Chapter 5

**_ Three weeks later: _ **

Maria emerged from the bathroom dressed in one of her camisoles that had recently been purchased in a small boutique near their hotel. It had been a spur of the moment thing after a rather long day of shopping for the children. Maria had blushed profoundly at first, but they had been greeted by an elderly lady who soon had put Maria’s feelings at ease while showing her different styles and colors. Throughout the whole event, Georg had been sitting in an armchair silently admiring his wife’s face changing into different shades of red.

The purchased piece of clothing now hugged Maria’s slim figure in a way that made Georg lose all his interest in the morning newspaper he had been reading. When he heard the door open he smiled to himself over the fact that his wife now seemed to be so at ease around him that she had no reservation or fear over walking around wearing only her underwear. Remembering their first couple of weeks alone in the hotel room, Maria had demurely wrapped robes, blankets, covers, or whatever huge piece of fabric she could find ~~,~~ around her slim figure when scurrying out to the bathroom in the morning.

Counting back on the days and weeks they had already spend in Paris, Georg figured that it must have taken her at least 1½-2 weeks before she had surprised him by raising from their bed one morning clad only in her underpants. When she had returned from the bathroom she had seen his smoldering eyes and knew that he had been pleased with her new openness.

-“What are you reading darling?” Georg was pulled out of his reverie when his wife now stood right next to him craning her neck, trying to see the headlines. He shook his head to try to clear his mind from images of him taking off the tiny garment of his wife’s body.

-“Nothing important.” He smiled and reached for her hand giving it a tender kiss. Maria gave him a radiant smile in return. Still smiling she leaned down to capture his lip in a sweet kiss. The kiss turned out to be longer than Maria had planned, feeling Georg’s hand reaching up to hold her face close to his.

-“Hmm, this is a nice way to start a day, the sight of my beautiful wife dressed in a minimum amount of clothes kissing me.” Georg mussed against her lips, his hand traveled down her body, finally resting on her hip.

-“Oh, Georg… I…” Maria was suddenly lost for words. She was still not used to hear him talk endearment like this. She looked into his smoldering eyes and knew that he was hoping for them to start the day with something more than just the half-eaten croissant still lying on his plate. Maria had been a fast learner in the fines arts of reading her husband’s silent signals as to when he desired for them to be alone. Maria remembered one evening a couple of days ago:

_They had just had a wonderful experience of listening to “The Phantom of the opera”. Her head had still been filled with heartfelt music and singing and felt she had been on an emotional rollercoaster ride of feelings. She had scarcely paid notice of them walking back to their hotel. Suddenly she had felt Georg’s hand on her lower back, which brought her back from her musings over what she had experienced in the opera. They had an unspoken agreement to not show too much public display of affection, other than holding hands when walking around the city. Now in the darkness of the streets, Georg had thrown caution to the winds and silently tried to tell his wife something._

_Maria felt his warm hand gently sliding over her lower back and lightly caressing her side, his thumb making slow circles over her dress. This shot sparks of heatwaves through her body, and suddenly she had had no other_ _thought in mind other than how wonderful his hand felt on her hip. She raised her head trying to read his expression, and what she saw made her realize just where he wanted them to be at that moment. His eyes spoke volumes on just how much he desired for them to be alone this very instant. Her breath got caught in her throat and she felt her face heat up. She only hoped that the dimness of the night would hide her telltale blush. But seeing one of his half-smiles starting to play around his mouth she knew that he knew what was on her mind also._

_Still feeling slightly lightheaded from this new turn of events, she unconsciously began to walk a bit faster. She heard Georg slightly chuckle and stopped to look at him once more. Georg turned her around so they now were standing face to face. Maria felt her heartbeat rise while she looked up at her husband. She did a mental check of their surroundings and was relieved that they had stopped in a rather dark part of the street and due to the lateness of the evening they were also pretty much alone. Save for an elderly man walking his dog on the other side of the street._

_With his half-smile still present he gently placed his hands on her face pulling her mouth closer to his. Maria felt her breath hitch in her throat, her heart beating wildly, but also felt exhilaration running through her body. She held on to the lapels of his jacket, just to have something to hold on_ _to. When his lips finally found their destination Maria forgot about altogether just where they were standing._

_Afterward, none of them would have been able to tell just how long they had been standing there, time was lost on them, while they had both expressed their inner feelings and passion for the other._

-“Maria, darling?” Georg’s voice pulled her out of her reverie and she shook her head slightly trying to clear her mind. Georg smiled warmly at her. He had seen her dreamy eyes and wondered just what his lovely wife was mussing over. “Where did you go? You drifted off there for a second.” Georg pulled her closer to him, guiding her to sit on his legs, Maria let herself rest against his body and relished in the feeling of his arms circling her waist.

-“Oh, it was nothing, just thinking back on one of our many experiences here in Paris” Maria placed her arms around his neck, gently caressing his neck just behind his ear. She held a secretive smile on her lips and Georg still wondered just what memory she had been reveling in.

-“Hmm, we sure have experienced quite a lot in the past 3 weeks.” His mind ran over a couple of his favorites, both out in the city but defiantly also the ones within this hotel room. “You know, we only have about 2 weeks left of this glorious honeymoon.”

Maria had been thinking of the same thing while taking a shower this morning. It saddened her to know that in about 2 weeks this blissful adventure, that their honeymoon had been, would soon end. She was looking forward to seeing the children again, but their honeymoon had been filled with so many new and wonderful experiences that she didn’t want it to end.

Raking her fingers through his well-combed hair, she smiled warmly at her husband.

-“Well then we might as well get the best out of the time we still have left, won’t we?” Her voice was edged with some new tones of banter that he had learned was her attempt to sound suave and seducing. He smiled affectionately and knew that his wife was still eager to learn all there was to know of the ways of pleasing her husband.

Tightening his grip around her waist he pulled her closer to his hungry mouth. He captured her lips in a passion-filled kiss that took her breath away. It appeared that she had been right in her earlier assumption of just how Georg wanted to begin the day. Releasing her very soul into the kiss she let her hands roam over his neck, sliding just under the robe he was wearing, feeling his hot skin against her fingers.

Georg felt Maria doing more than simply responding to his kiss. He relished in the way her body curved and molded itself closer to his as if she wanted to be with him _now._ Back in his mind, he was overjoyed by this new side of herself she was showing. Suddenly he felt her shift around and when he pulled away he saw the fierce passion burning in her eyes. Within seconds she had somehow managed to move one of her legs over his, so she now sad astride his lap. With a wicked grin and twinkle in his eyes, he showed her in every way that he was pleased by this turn of events. Maria felt her growing confidence rise to a new height when she looked back into his deep blue eyes.

Maria moved her hands up into his now tousled hair, amazed how her body responded to their heated kisses. She leaned in to steal yet another kiss from her husband’s warm lips. When she heard his low growl in the back of his throat she felt a new powerful confidence rise within her. Her hands roamed over his shoulders, sliding under his robe holding on to his shoulders.

Georg let his hands slide over her back, pulling her closer while he let his mouth travel away from her lips. Maria let out a small moan of disappointment when she felt his mouth stop kissing her, but the next second she felt her breath hitch in her throat when she felt those amazing lips start kissing her neck and shoulders. Her camisole had thin straps, leaving him with free access to her now hot skin.

Maria moved her head to one side, giving him full access to her skin. She felt her body respond on its own to his hot kisses, fire rose from the pit of her stomach filling her whole being with intense heat. All that existed in her world was her husband and what tantalizing things his mouth evoked in her body.

Georg felt her hands move restlessly over his shoulders, his rope now hung loosely around his shoulders, giving her free access to his upper body and shoulders. At one point while he gave special attention to her pulse point he felt her fingers grip his shoulders fiercely causing him to gasp out in pain. Somehow his muscles were pained in just the area she had held on to.

When Maria heard his pain-filled outburst she pulled away from him, looking guilt-stricken for her to cause him pain.

-“It’s okay darling, think I might have a sore muscle or something. You did nothing wrong.” He assured her when he saw her horrified expression. Maria sighed in relief and then gave him a smile that bore some form of mischief. Georg was on the brink of asking her what was on her mind when she beat him to it: “Oh good, you had me worried there for a second, that I had hurt the _old_ Captain, not knowing I had such strength.” Maria giggled and caressed his face lovingly with her hand.

-“I’m not old!” Was his short reply, huffing out a pretended puff of annoyance.

Maria laughed merrily and leaned in to kiss his cheek, then whispered into his ear: “Uhm that might be… but you know… I’m not getting any younger just sitting here… why don’t we move this to the…”

-“..bed.” Georg finished for her, smiling broadly at her less than subtle attempt to move their morning interlude to a more comfortable place. Maria felt her cheeks turn slightly red and she hid her face in his neck, trying to calm her nerves. Suddenly she felt Georg’s hand stray down to the hem of her camisole, gently easing it up her back as if he tried to remove it from her body. She raised her head looking at him with questions in her eyes. He smiled deviously at her, tugging gently at her camisole letting her know that he wanted the piece of fabric to be removed.

-“Umm someone is impatient, why the big rush, _Captain_?” Maria whispered into his ear, her breath feeling hot on his oversensitive skin. Georg growled in return and took a firm hold around her waist lifting them both of the chair. Maria hugged him tightly around his neck, holding on for dear life, she knew where they were heading while her eyes fell on the huge hotel bed.

When Georg moved them both towards the waiting bed, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder muscles, he winched in pain. Maria felt him tense up and looked at him and asked: “what’s wrong darling?” Her voice was filled with concern.

-“Ah it’s nothing, not to worry, this _old_ sea Captain are still capable of _loving_ his beautiful wife in every way possible.” He whispered into her ear and walked a few more steps, but then he realized that his muscles ached too much for him to move with his wife still in his arms. He let out a frustrated sigh and gently placed Maria on the floor.

Maria saw his misery and gently hugged him tightly letting him know that she was there for him. She suddenly remembered something they had used a week ago, or rather Georg had used, to make her feel relaxed and all together fully satisfied in the terms of _loving._ Her eyes swept over to the nightstand next to the bed, and sure enough on it was a small bottle of oil that Georg had purchased as a surprise for her. That night turned out to be one of the most amazing nights they had shared on their honeymoon. Her body tingled with anticipation by the mere memory of what had transpired during their lovemaking that special night. Until then, she had never imagined a “small massage”, as Georg had phrased it, would give her such an intense experience together with her husband.

Making a quick and bold decision she took his hand and gently tucked him closer to the bed. Georg looked at her quizzically. Smiling secretly, she gave him no hint of what she had in mind. When they were standing next to the bed Maria reached up to slide the robe of his shoulder.

-“Let’s get rid of this, shall we,” Maria said gently, and pulled the robe away from his body, then threw it casually on the floor. Georg was still puzzled. Having no idea what she wanted to do he just decided to let her make the decisions on what should happen. It thrilled him to see this new open and adventuress side of his wife, and he felt his body start to respond to the special attention she was giving him.

-“Please lay down on the bed for me, face down.” When Maria saw his puzzled eyes she added with a shy smile: “I only want to treat your ailments, my dear Captain, so you’re fit and well for the remaining time of our honeymoon.” She ended her thoughts there but she saw the twinkle in his eyes and she knew that he knew just _why_ she wanted him “fit and well” their last weeks in Paris.

Georg chuckled slightly and asked with mirth in his voice: “and how are you going to do that, Fraulein?” Raising a questioning eyebrow, he saw her blush a tiny bit under his scrutiny, her inexperience still lurked beneath this new and flirtatious side of her.

-“I’m going to use this,” Maria picked up the small bottle of oil from the nightstand, “and hopefully my massage will remove the pain from your muscles.” She smiled warmly at him, and when she saw his wide grin she knew that he too remembered the night when he had given her a massage.

Giving her a quick wink he quickly pulled his underwear down and when he saw her startled look he reached over and gave her a small kiss on her cheek, then whispered in her ear: “Oh I’m sure that will do the trick and much more.” He let his mouth linger by her ear, feeling her warmth close to his body. She was still wearing her camisole, but he knew that the clothing would eventually come off. Grinning for himself he moved to the bed and lay down on his stomach just as she had instructed.

Maria let out a breath of air she had been holding, hearing him speak so passionately and feeling him so close had her almost forgetting what her plan was. Shaking her head, she gingerly positioned herself next to her husband’s now very nude body. This fact was also one of the reasons why she had a hard time focusing.

She poured out some of the oil from the flask into her hands. When it was warm enough she placed her hands on his broad shoulders. Gently probing her fingers over his muscles she soon found his sore spot, when she heard him hiss out in pain. She soon realized that she had to reposition herself so she could work out the kinks and pain in his shoulder. With butterflies fluttering in her stomach she rose and straddled his waist. He gave out a small satisfied sigh when she moved over him. Maria felt heat spreading throughout her body when she heard his outburst. Taking a long steady breath she started to work on his shoulders.

Georg groaned in agony when she hit a particularly painful spot but as she worked more and more on his shoulders he started to fully enjoy the attention his wife gave him.

-“Ah that feels wonderful darling, you sure have done some magic with your hands.” Georg mussed out, sighing in contentment. Maria paused her kneading and let her fingertips run ever so gently over his back, caressing his spine and shoulder blades. She felt him shudder by her gentle touch and she knew what she wanted to do now that his “ailments” have been treated. With a secretive smile on her lips she leaned over to whisper in his ear: “so your pain is gone now Captain?” when he nodded his head she let her lips gently graze his earlobe, and when she again felt his body respond to her gentle touch she spoke in a husky voice: “Oh I’m so pleased that I could be of assistance to your recovery…” when she felt him move under her she gently laid her hands on his shoulders, “… oh no my darling I’m by no means done with _you_.”

Georg gasped in surprise by his wife’s blunt words and just thinking of what her mind might have conjured of amazing ideas for this glorious morning, made him shudder in anticipation. Smiling broadly he rested his head back on the pillow, showing her that she had his full permission to go on in whatever plan she might have.

Maria saw his pleased expression and she felt her confidence soaring to new heights, knowing that she could take the lead and _please_ her husband, gave her the courage to move on with her plan. Pouring some more oil in her hands she warmed it between her palms, then rested her warm hands on his shoulders. Then she moved her hands in slow circles over his broad shoulders taking her time caressing every inch of his backside. Georg let out a small sigh of contentment when he felt her gentle fingers gently massage his neck. When she ever so lightly let her fingers rub over his sensitive spot behind his ear she could feel him shudder under her touch.

-“Good grief woman, are you trying to kill me?” Georg mumbled when he felt her fingers linger behind his ear, drawing small circles on his sensitive skin, and occasionally letting her fingers run through his hair.

-“Hmm, why would I want to kill you, my _darling_ , then I wouldn’t have someone to share this with.” Maria’s voice was low and a little raspy, a fact that even surprised herself. She had leaned her body over his, letting her breath tickle over his ear. When she heard Georg groan into the pillow she smiled to herself, relishing in the fact that she seemed to be able to make her husband lose his self-control.

Feeling her confidence rising from within, she let her lips linger over his ear, gently caressing his skin with her soft lips. Then she let her lips travel around his neck and further down his shoulders, giving small and gentle kisses to his heated skin.

Her hands drew feather-light circles and patterns over his back before easing further down his back letting her mouth follow the path of his spine. When she reached halfway down his spine she paused, contemplating her next move.

Georg felt his whole body wait in anticipation as to what she would do now, secretly he hoped that her mouth would continue to do the amazing and mind-melting things it had done. When she hadn’t moved, he gently rose and turned his head downwards trying to get a glimpse of her face.

Maria felt him move under her and looked up at his face, and when her eyes meet his dark eyes, filled with passion and lust she smiled meekly at him. Her eyes traveled over his face and finally rested on his lips. Feeling drawn to him she raised her body slightly and moved up towards his face. In doing so she made just enough room for him to turn around so he now lay on his back while his hands found her hips pulling her up to his waiting lips.

The kiss was fierce and passionate in every way after Georg had been keeping his desire at bay during her massage. When he finally was granted permission to do what he had wanted all morning he didn’t hesitate one bit, his lips moved over hers in a way that took her breath away. At first, Maria was rather shocked by his onslaught but feeling her own body responding in kind she let her own emotions run wild. She buried her hands in his thick hair holding him close, never wanting him to stop. Gradually the kiss did subside and they both went up for air, Maria rested her forehead against his while looking into his intense burning eyes. She felt her own body shudder in anticipation of what would happen next. From the depth of his eyes, she saw her desire mirrored, and she felt elated that she had been able to evoke such powerful emotions from within them both.

A small smile graced Maria’s lips while she lay there trying to regain her breathing, but she felt the heat in her body coil into something more powerful that needed to be released. She felt Georg move his hands to the hem of her camisole pulling on it, and she knew he wanted to get rid of the last pieces of clothing that lay between them.

Still smiling she rose from his body, giving him free access to remove the offending piece of clothing. Georg gave her a grateful smile and pulled her camisole over her head, then placed his hands on her underwear, letting her know that he wanted those out of the equations as well.

Maria lifted herself from his body and lay next to him so he could remove her last piece of clothing. Within seconds the small piece of fabric ended somewhere on the floor and now Georg turned his full attention to the temptress lying beside him. Maria reached her hands out for him and he moved into her arms in a heartbeat. He leaned over her body, gave her a short kiss and moved his mouth to her ear: “you have a way off baffling me with everything you do, Fraulein, you sure know how to surprise your husband. Thank _you_.” His breath tickled her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Maria smiled warmly at him, feeling rather satisfied that she could surprise him this way, and secretly she hoped she would be able to do it again at least a few more times in the last weeks of their honeymoon.

-“Now let me show what it is you do to me.” He proclaimed and let his mouth travel down her jawline. Maria felt her skin heat up and she sighed in pleasure when she felt his mouth continue its journey to her shoulder and further down her body.

Their lovemaking was intense and urgent, something that had rarely happened in the past 3 weeks. It was a new sensation for Maria, but she felt content and safe in his passionate embrace. Her body moved by pure instinct and she marveled at how well they could read each other and bring them both to the fullest of their passion.

\--------------------------------------------

Maria lay nestled securely in Georg’s arms, her head rested on his shoulder and her arm was wrapped around his torso, wanting to be as close to him as possible. She still felt the aftermath of their passionate lovemaking curse through her body and she was finding it hard to focus on anything else but her husband at this moment.

Georg was still amazed about what had happened this morning. Every day he would see a new side of his wife, and this morning had been no exception. His hand was drawing lazy circles on her arm, and shoulder. He heard her sigh in contentment, and he couldn’t help but smile, the whole world could turn upside down, and he wouldn’t care. Holding his wife and being able to show her his love was all that mattered.

While they still lay in peaceful silence, Maria let her hands move over his torso in slow motion. Her mind still filled with thoughts and wonderment over the intense lovemaking they just shared. She felt his abdomen muscles tighten slightly when her fingertips brushed over his skin. Curiously she looked down and let her fingers caress his skin once more, she noticed small shivers run through his muscles. A small smile of wonder formed on her lips and she now let her fingers dance over his heated skin.

Georg felt her exploring fingers and looked down, only to find his wife looking down. He craned his neck trying to get a better look at her expression. What he saw made him smile in amusement, and couldn’t help chuckle a little. Maria raised her head and stilled her fingers, letting her hand rest on his abdomen.

-“What’s so funny Georg?” She raised her eyebrow and smiled.

-“Oh I’m just dying to know what’s going on in that head of yours, you seemed so far away just now, whatever have you been thinking of?” He reached up and brushed his hand over her cheek, letting it rest on her face. He noticed the tiniest bit of a blush creep up her neck, even though she had come a long way in the terms of the intimacy between them, she could still blush. Grinning down at her he raised his eyebrows, urging her on to answer.

-“Oh well, it’s nothing really, nothing… nothing important that is…” Maria sighed and looked down. She could almost feel his intense gaze on her. How could she tell him something like this, what would he think?

Georg only let his hand guide her face to look at him again, then gave her a huge smile of encouragement.

-“Oh if you must know, I was merely thinking on how you stay so fit for a… a man in your…” Maria bit down on her tong, not wanting to say anything else.

Georg laughed out and finished her sentence: “… for a man in my age?!” Maria felt the heat in her face intensify, she was embarrassed, to say the least on her outspokenness, oh when would she ever learn to just keep quiet.

-“Oh Georg I’m not saying you are _old,_ just think you’re actually looking quite fit for someone with your… eh… life experience…” Maria hid her head on his chest hoping that he would just drop the whole matter.

Georg leaned down and kissed her head then let his hand caress her back reassuringly. His inner male pride was pleased by what he heard but he dared not telling her this, so he decided to give her some form of explanation.

-“Well I have kept my old habits from my navy time, like waking up early and if the weather allows it, I’ll take a swim in the lake, and if not then I’ll run. So for an _old_ man like me, I guess I’m keeping myself fairly fit.” Georg explained with a laugh.

When Maria heard the word “old” she looked up and started to shake her head, and when he finished she proclaimed: “you’re not old, I shouldn’t have said that earlier, I’m sorry.”

Georg hugged her close to him and whispered into her hair: “It’s okay darling, you have not offended me at all, I know I’m slightly older than you but I don’t think much about it myself, and neither should you.”

Maria nodded her head quietly while she thought back on what he had said, suddenly something occurred to her, she whipped her head up and asked without thinking: “you mean to say that you wake up _every_ day and go out to swim or run?” Georg nodded his head, wondering where she was going with this question, “I’ve never noticed this, and… and you never said anything when we got engaged… why?”

Georg laughed out while shrugging his shoulders, then said: “well for one it just never came up, and second, when we got engaged I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to sneak out and spy on me.” He winked mischievously at her, and he knew she would blush when hearing this. Sure enough, the second his words registered in her mind her face turned slightly red.

Maria was startled by this, and within seconds she had conjured images of her husband diving into the lake in only a pair of bathing shorts. “It’s such a shame we are not close to a lake.” Maria mused. She was startled when she heard him laugh, had he heard this, it was only supposed to be inside her head. But when she saw his happy and pleased expression she relaxed again.

“Thank you for being so wonderful my darling, don’t ever change that.” He smiled at her, then let his hand caress her face, pulling her closer to his mouth. “I won’t” she whispered just as his lips started to kiss her slowly and sensually. Maria let her whole soul into the kiss and she reached up and pulled his head closer to her, deepening the kiss in a way that had Georg groan out in passion.

When they finally pulled apart Georg just held her close and relished in how close they had come during their honeymoon. Then he thought about the last 2 weeks they would have together and what adventures they would find around the next corner, suddenly he thought of something.

-“If I’m not mistaken there will be a lake out by the château we’re going to in two days.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and grinned when he saw her blush. The next second he was startled by the sincerity that came to her eyes.

-“Oh that would be wonderful, then we could both take a swim.” She crooked her head sideways looking sweetly at him, and she tried to hide her bashful smile when he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

-“Hmm that sure would be a marvelous idea, but we have to go shopping before we leave, I for one have not brought my swim trunks and I don’t suppose you have anything appropriate to wear for swimming.” Georg mussed and gave her his lopsided grin, and when he saw her smile, he pulled her in for another kiss.

The kiss lasted a few minutes and when they both pulled away to get a breath of air Maria started to plan on their shopping trip: “Oh I’ve never owned anything like a swimsuit, can’t wait…” her voice was filled with excitement, and Georg only smiled while her mussing continued down a path he had not expected: “… you don’t suppose they have some with no zippers?” Her question made him chuckle and he shook his head.

-“Why don’t you want one with a zipper?” He asked in wonder.

-“Well, you do seem to hate whenever I wear a dress with a zipper…” Her voice faltered a little and she looked down, she hoped that he would understand her hidden meaning. When she dared to look at him again she saw the mirth in his eyes and she knew he understood her implication.

Georg had a hard time trying to stop himself laughing loudly by her seemingly innocent question, still chuckling to himself he rolled them over so he was now hovering over her body.

-“Oh my dear beautiful, amazing wife, you do know how to brighten a man’s day.” Georg proclaimed with his lips only millimeters from her inviting lips. Giving her a short passion-filled kiss he lifted his head and looked into her large blue eyes, giving her a small wink he added: “I’ll make sure we find something with no _zippers_ , or _buttons_ for that matter, in either mine or your swimwear.”

Maria felt bubbles of laughter fill her up and she smiled warmly at his reference to zippers and buttons, as it had seemed to be something they both had a dislike of. She laughed out and smiled invitingly at her husband, who saw the invitation and moved in for yet another kiss.

The rest of the morning they spend in bed, resting _and_ sharing passionate kisses now and then, both feeling content and relaxed like they never had been before. When noon arrived they reluctantly pulled themselves out of their cocoon of shared love and passion and ventured down for a light lunch. After lunch, they started to look for shops that were selling swimwear, for their next adventure on their honeymoon. And sure enough, they did find something sans _buttons_ or _zippers_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue is still to come... pretty soon I believe... this whole thing (+ Buttons 1) have only been undergoing som minor edit via Grammarly... that amazing edit tool I didn't have back when I first wrote this... 
> 
> PS: I know that "Phantom of the opera" was NOT a show back in the timeline of TSOM, BUT it's my favorite musical so I had to give them this experience... so no flames for messing with time here ;) thanks


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their trip home... not exactly the perfect homecoming but still with loads of fluff... changed the homecoming scene a bit here and there, wanted more kisses ;) and I absolutely love that little moment when he winks at her when Brigitta calls Maria mother, so I had to make a back story for this wink, that is what the first train scene is for ;) enjoy the added fluff. AND THE END

Epilogue/final chapter

The Austrian landscape was clad in its finest autumn colors, of red, orange, and yellow. The scenery flew by the train widows in a blur, making it somewhat difficult for the passengers to see every detail. But this didn't matter for Maria whose focus wasn't on the view but more her thoughts on what had happened the past month.

A month that had been filled with so many various new experiences for her, that it sometimes was quite difficult to fully understand that she was married to the wonderful man sitting at the other side of the table. At the moment he was occupied with reading the newspaper, his brow was furrowed into a sharp line, the news he read was not pleasant. The news of Austria's defeat by the "Third Reich" had reached them in their honeymoon paradise. Maria had seen the small change within Georg when he heard the news, and her heart broke for her husband, and she had stood by his side and they had shared their worries over the whole affaire. She knew that the future would not be all rosy red like the weeks of their honeymoon had been. She was not that naïve anymore.

Maria took a large drink of her orange juice, trying to occupy her mind with more pleasant topics. Her eyes looked back over at her husband. While he was still busy with his paper she had a moment to just enjoy the view, so to speak. She smiled to herself while she thought about all the wonderful things they had done together, both out in the city, but also when they had been alone in their hotel suite. These last thoughts made her face feel slightly warmer, and when her eyes looked down at his hands, still holding the newspaper, the heat only intensified. She had lost count on just how many times those hands had made her feel cherished and loved beyond everything she had ever imagined.

Then she looked up at his face and her eyes fell on his lips, those lips had whispered sweet words of endearments every night going to sleep and morning they had woken up. The same lips had given her pleasure that had sent her mind and body whirling with heated emotions, which had sent shivers up and down her spine. Her mind was filled with wonderful memories of their time in Paris and their four days out at the wine château the previous week had been a wonderful addition to their time together. Those four days had been filled with some incredible new experiences for them. They had found the lake near the château and gone swimming; the weather had still been fairly warm. The lake lay secluded in a small forest, as so they had been all alone. Maria felt her cheeks go even warmer by thinking about what they had _almost_ done out in/by the lake, up until then, _that_ had only been something they had done when being alone in their hotel suite.

Maria felt her face heat up even more when she remembered all of their passionate kisses and adventures they had shared while being alone. Now her blush was not caused by only bashfulness alone, she had come to cherish these private times together. In the past five weeks, Maria had grown into a loving and passionate wife, who was now more and more at ease when she was alone with her husband. She surprised even herself now when she was letting herself daydream of something as intimate as their lovemaking, in public no less. In the back of her mind she surely hoped that the other passengers didn't know how to read minds, they would be in for a shock if they saw the images going through her mind.

When Georg finished reading the newspaper he found his wife deep in thought, her cheekbones decorated in a soft pink glow which told him that her mind was focused on some more private or intimate things. Her face was turned slightly away from him, her eyes looked unseeing out the windows, he was sure that she didn't notice the multiple arrays of autumn colors flashing by at high speed. Grinning for himself he reached out with his hands and gently touched her hand. He was _very_ curious as to what his wife was thinking about.

The sudden warmth of his hand snapped Maria out of her reveries and when she turned her head towards Georg she was met with a pair of curious sparkling blue eyes. She felt her cheeks going even redder, she saw the unspoken question in his eyes, and she knew that he knew where her thoughts had been seconds before. Maria was amazed by the fact that she, after five weeks alone with her husband, had learned to read her husband like this. She felt a slight tingle run down her spine just thinking about how close they had become, in both body and soul.

-"So, Darling, whatever has captivated your mind so much that you seem to have forgotten the world around you?" Georg asked with amusement in his voice.

Maria shook her head in disbelief over his bluntness, but then she pulled her hand away from his and rearranged her napkin next to her plate then looked as innocent as she could up at him again, and said in a sweet voice: "I have _no_ idea whatsoever it is you're talking about, my _darling_. I was merely enjoying the wonderful view of… of…" she cast a quick glance out of the window, she had absolutely no idea where they were, all she saw was trees in autumn colors, "… of the wonderful autumn colored trees." She waved her hand out towards the scenery to underline her explanation.

-"Hmpf… the scenery?" Georg huffed in feigned indignation; he found it rather difficult not to laugh out loud when he added: "Are there buttons on those trees?" He was amazed by how much Maria had grown into her role as a wife _and_ lover, but he still saw some tiny signs of her previous shyness.

When his devious question reached her ears she found it quite difficult to hold her seemingly cool façade. During their honeymoon, she had learned that he would _never_ forget those buttons, and zippers for that matter, as said items always seemed to be part of their playful and loving banter.

-"Ah well… no… no buttons, none at all." Maria said in a firm voice, while she kept looking straight into her husband's eyes. She noticed the gleam in his eyes, a sure sign of him not believing her at all. Suddenly she felt the need to find a way to pay him back for his cheekiness, and she added in a low voice: "And I'll let you in on a little secret, _darling,_ I didn't see any zippers either, out there on the trees." She waved her hand out towards the scenery.

Georg had reached for his coffee, but when he heard these words he paused and suddenly he found himself quite shell shocked over her blunt words. Then after a few seconds, he couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud, completely forgetting that they were seated in a public place. Maria smiled triumphantly and soon she joined her husband in his laughter.

The only thing that stopped them was a low cough from one of the waiters who just passed their table. Georg looked up and saw the small disapproving look the waiter tried to send them, letting them know that such loudness was not accepted. Georg nodded his head in return and then hid his mouth behind his hands, his laughter was still present. He quietly shook his head while he looked over at his wife, who also tried to stifle her laughter.

-"Oh Maria, my wonderful, amazing wife, whatever am I going to do with you, you sometimes bring out the worst in me." He smiled, and then added: "not that I don't mind, but I think we need to find another topic to talk about before they kick us out of here." He winked playfully at her and reached for his coffee.

Maria nodded her head, and smiled back, she was pleased that she was able to bring him out of his sometimes uptight demeanor. Her mind wandered to what was going to happen within the next couple of hours, they would return home, home to their seven wonderful children. They had talked about how much they both missed the children. But Maria had also secretly thought about something else, the fact that she was now their new mother.

-"Georg?" Maria asked in a low and slightly nervous voice. Her uneasiness confused Georg; he was not sure why she all of a sudden seemed so uneasy about something. He reached over and wrapped his fingers around her hand.

-"What's the matter, darling?" Georg asked with worry.

Maria shook her head and laughed nervously, then she said: "Oh I'm just being silly… really it is nothing…" She picked at her napkin, trying to get her worry out of her system.

But Georg needed to hear what was on her mind so he pressed on: "Please Maria, you do remember that you can tell me anything. Please, what is on your mind?"

Maria was thinking for a few moments before she finally said: "The thing is, I've been thinking a lot about the fact that I'm actually a _mother_ now, to seven children no less… It's not that I don't think they love me, I know they do…and I love them… it's just that… that…" Suddenly she found it rather difficult to find the right words to express what was on her mind, thinking about it now it just seemed like such a small and insignificant detail to worry about.

Georg could see various emotions run over Maria's face; he gently rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, trying to make her feel at ease.

Maria looked into her husband's warm eyes and saw his genuine concern and interest in her thoughts. Then she finally plucked up the courage to say what was on her mind.

-"Well, the thing is, I've been thinking… well you know I might be their new mother now, on paper, but do you suppose they would call me _mother_?" Maria saw Georg smile even more and she tried to explain: "Well it's not as if I wouldn't understand if they don't want to call me _mother_ , the oldest still remember their real mother. It might be unnatural for them to… to… you know."

-"Well, seeing my…our, children together with you I do believe they all see you as their mother, they might even have seen it way before I even realized my love for you. As for them calling you mother, I guess we just have to wait and see. If they do, how do _you_ feel about it?" Georg asked gently, he sensed that this was a genuine concern for Maria, and knew she needed some confirmation from him.

Maria didn't try to hide the huge smile on her lips when she answered: "Oh I wouldn't mind it one bit if they did call me mother. But as I said before, I truly understand if some of them would still call me Maria. I would never make them forget their real mother."

-"I know you wouldn't, and they do too." Georg was amazed at how Maria seemed so in tune with his children and him for that matter. She truly had a natural gift in understanding people, especially people that were close to her.

Maria smiled grateful at him, and placed her other hand on top of his, wrapping his hand in her own. She was happy that they had had this talk, and now she was looking very much forward to go home to their children. Those children had captivated her heart from the moment she had met them.

Their talk moved to other light topics, while they finished their breakfast. Then they walked back to their compartment and finished packing their things together. Within the next hour the train arrived in Salzburg, marking the end of their honeymoon, but the start of their new life together.

They were picked up by Franz and the drive home was uneventful. Maria felt giddy and excited to see the children again; they would have so much to talk about.

Maria dozed off in the car, her head rested on Georg's shoulder, but just as the car drove into the driveway she felt Georg tense up in his body. Confused she rose her head up and looked up at his face, his eyes were narrow and his whole face was a mask made of stone. It made her feel uneasy and confused; she turned her head in the direction of his eyes.

Their beautiful home was now desecrated with a blood-red flag with a black swastika in the center. Maria felt her blood run cold with dread, they had heard that the Nazis had overtaken their beloved Austria, but never had they thought it would hit them this close to home.

Maria could only imagine how angry and violated Georg felt at that moment, trying to hold back the tears she turned to her husband and gently took his hand. At first, he didn't seem to register her touch, but when she gently caressed his knuckles he looked down at her. The hard lines still lingered on his face, but he managed to pull forward a smile, though it never really reached his eyes. Neither one of them spoke a word; no words were needed at that moment. They both knew how bad the situation was for their family.

Franz drove the car up to the house, opened the door for Georg who then walked around to open the door for Maria. In the meantime Franz took care of their luggage, carrying it into the house.

Georg pulled Maria in for a hug, before walking up the steps, his eyes burned daggers to the offending flag defiling their home. When they came to the top of the stairs, Georg made a small jump and pulled the Swastika flag down. Maria saw the burning hatred in her husband's eyes, it scared her slightly, but she knew how much he hated what that flag represented. She too was shocked and offended by the Nazi's impudence in doing something like this. But from what she had read about the Nazis in the newspapers she gathered that this was just one more of their obscene ideas to "promote" their beliefs.

They walked into their home, Georg still held the Swastika flag in his hand, his grip was tight with anger, all that ran through his mind was how he could get rid of this offending piece of fabric. He never wanted his children to _ever_ see this symbol in their home.

When they came into the hallway they were met with Frau Schmidt, she greeted them happily, and welcomed them home. Then she saw the red fabric in Georg's hand: "I'm sorry about that Sir." She nodded her head towards his hand holding the flag and continued: "they came yesterday, and we didn't know how to stop them. I'm terribly sorry about that Sir." Her voice was filled with sadness, she was much aware of how her employer hated the Third Reich, and what that flag symbolized.

Georg waved her off with a hand, and shook his head; he knew how the Nazi soldiers worked. Then he asked Frau Schmidt where the children were. She smiled and said: "They are in town with Hr. Detweiler, they should be home right before lunch, which would be any time now." She looked at her wristwatch.

-"Thank you, Frau Schmidt," Georg said and took Maria's hand, and then they walked to the library. He wanted to get rid of the Swastika flag still burning in his hand, and he knew just how to do this.

When they entered the room he moved straight for the fireplace that, luckily, had a roaring fire burning. Maria knew what he wanted to do, and she squeezed his hand letting him know that she was right there next to him.

When the red spider flag landed in the fireplace, it caught on fire instantly, blazing wildly for a few seconds while the fabric melted in the heat. Georg rested his hand on the mantelpiece, and when he saw the flag cease to exist he sighed in relief and rested his head on his hand. He was filled with ragged emotions running wild in his mind. It filled him with dread thinking about what the future would bring them, in this ever-changing world they now lived in.

Maria had stayed a few feet behind him, while he had thrown the flag into the fire, she now watched him slump against the fireplace. Her heart ached for him, and she took a few steps forward and placed a gentle hand on his back. She felt the tension in his muscles, and she gently slides her hand up and down his back, trying to soothe his raging emotions.

Georg felt the warmth of her hand through his jacket, and he felt himself relax more and more. This was _not_ the homecoming he had dreamed of when returning from his honeymoon. He turned around and moved closer to Maria, took her into his arms, hugging her close.

-"I'm terribly sorry about this, it was not how I pictured us coming home, but it seems as if nothing will stop the Nazis to invade our privacy. Sorry." Georg gently kissed her temple, letting his lips linger on her warm skin; he needed the closeness they shared.

Maria nodded her head, and she too felt the need to just be close to the man who in every way possible had changed her life forever, and in her heart, she only knew one thing: "I love you, and you love me, everything else really doesn't matter."

Georg smiled into her hair, and lifted his hands to her face, cupping her face in his hands, looking into her blue orbs. He was amazed how Maria was so in tune with his emotions considering they had known each other for a little over half a year, and only three of those months when had they been in a relationship, including one month of marriage. This thought filled his heart with joy and he knew that whatever the world would bring them, they would get through it, together.

Maria moved her hands up to his shoulders, lifting herself slightly and kissed him. Georg moved his arms closer around her body, pulling her close to him. The kiss had a calming effect on Georg and for the time being, he forgot what was happening in the world around them. His only focus was on how amazing it felt to kiss his wife's soft red lips, he let his lips travel over her cheekbone in short kisses. When his mouth was near her ear, he let his hands travel down her body, letting his hand rest on the lowest part of her back, pulling her body close to his.

-"How long was it until our rambunctious children return home?" His voice tickled Maria's sensitive skin by her ear, she felt her head spin slightly, and the location of his hands didn't help her state of mind either. She was rather puzzled by his question, and she pulled back slightly trying to see in his eyes what he was up to. She asked him why he needed to know this now; they had just talked with Frau Schmidt only moments before.

-"Ah well I was hoping that we would have time for some, _sweet loving_ , upstairs," when Maria still looked slightly confused he added with a glint in his eyes: "in our bed, you naked, and I would be kissing you, making love to you." His voice was raw with passion and to underline his words he let one hand rest behind her head and pulled her in for a burning kiss.

Maria was too shocked to respond first, but when his lips continued their onslaught on her own she didn't care what he had asked, she wanted more. More of him, more of the heated kisses and caresses she knew he could give her. One month in Paris had taught her a thing or two about her passion, and by all means also the immense amount of passion that Georg had to share. She let her body mold into his larger frame and marveled at how well they fit together. Her hands roamed restlessly through his hair, pulling him closer to her hungry mouth.

Georg growled in the back of his throat when he felt her surrender, and he inwardly smiled at his wife's newfound passion. He was sure that this would never die, and he was looking forward to their future together, he was sure it would never grow dull, in any way.

They both lost the sense of time and completely forgot that they were expecting their children home at any time. Suddenly their bubble of passion burst with a short knock on the door.

Maria gasped for air and rested her spinning head on his chest, and found herself unconsciously cursing whoever had disturbed them. She had her eyes closed while she vaguely heard the voice of Frau Schmidt telling them that the children had arrived home. Georg thanked her and then looked down at his wife. He saw the red tinge on her cheekbones and he knew that she felt shy and a little alarmed by her of the outburst of passion in a somewhat public place.

-"Well darling, I guess we have to wait for our private welcome home rendezvous until tonight," Georg whispered into her ear, and he smiled for himself when he saw the redness on her face increase slightly.

Maria took a deep breath of air and raised her head looking up at her mischievous husband who had a grin spread over his lips. Biting her lip nervously she rested her hand on his face and whispered back: "hmm I guess so, a shame though; I was starting to look forward to you helping me out of this outfit…" She pointed down to the mustard-colored two-piece suit she wore, and then added with a devious smile: "and it has both buttons _and_ zippers, and we don't like those, do we darling?"

She raised herself slightly and pecked him demurely on his cheek and walked to the door. If someone besides Georg had looked at the woman walking towards the door they would never have noticed the subtle sway of her hips, beckoning Georg to follow her. Georg did see how she gracefully moved towards the door, and the tiny sway of her hip told him how much she had matured in the past month.

Georg chuckled to himself and shook his head while he started to follow his wife; it sure wasn't going to be boring living with this woman.

When they came into the hallway they were greeted with seven children running into their arms. The next minutes were spent greeting and talking all at once. The uproar was immense and Frau Schmidt could see how much the children had missed their parents. The elderly lady was happy that the Captain had found love again. She walked down to the kitchen, leaving the family alone.

At one point one of the children had asked Maria and Georg: "What did you miss the most?" Georg had started to make a list of various things they had missed and ended it with: "… and we missed hearing you sing."

-"Oh, you're just in time to..." Brigitta exclaimed and searched her pockets for something; Georg looked curiously closer to what his daughter would find. He failed to notice his old friend Max take two steps forward as if he tried to prevent the girl to find what she looked for. Then Max sighed hopelessly and stepped back when the girl did find the piece of paper.

-"… look, Fraulein Maria… I mean _mother._ " The girl waved a piece of paper in front of Maria's face. But the paper was not her focus in that second, but rather the word that had come from the girl's mouth: " _mother_ ", her heart fluttered with joy and exhilaration by hearing that word. She looked around and caught the eyes of her husband when he saw the joy in her eyes he winked at her as if to say: "I told you so; they _do_ see you as their mother." This tiny gesture filled her heart with even more love for this man and these children around her.

Brigitta pulled on her arm making Maria focus on the piece of paper. It was something about a music festival, Maria thought that sounded wonderful. But when the children started telling all about them singing at the festival, she saw Georg step forward grabbing the flyer, and then he turned to Max raising a questioning eyebrow.

Max held up his hands in defense while Georg gave him yet another lecture about how his children would _never_ perform in public. Maria saw the tension build between the two men and moved through the crowd of children. When she reached her husband she placed a gentle hand on his arm. She didn't say anything, she knew how he felt about the situation, and she didn't want to make him change his mind, just calm him down.

Georg looked down into his wife's pleading eyes, he knew he was building up himself to a heated discussion, a discussion that was not meant for the children to see or hear. He took a breath of air and turned to his old friend and said: "This we will talk about later, you know how I feel about this." Max nodded his head and fiddled nervously with his mustache, he might have gone a bit over the line with this one. Looking down at the gentle hand still resting on Georg's arm, Max hoped that the woman standing next to his friend would help him on this one.

Trying to lighten the mood Georg turned to his children and exclaimed: "Alright presents are ready on the terrace." Every child but Liesl jumped up and down by hearing this and ran full speed towards the terrace. Georg chuckled slightly at this scene, then his heart warmed by what he saw next. Liesl stood back, and looked a bit nervous and unsure towards Maria, not knowing how she could express that she wanted to talk to Maria.

Georg smiled warmly to her, and bent down and whispered into Maria's ear: "I think our daughter wants to talk to her _mother_." Georg nodded his head towards the young woman, their oldest daughter who wasn't a child anymore. Maria looked up into his eyes and then her eyes fell on the teenager standing off to one side as if she waited for something or someone.

Maria was still getting used to this new role or title she now had, but she felt her heart burst with joy just thinking about it, and she wanted to be there for every one of the children. And right now it seemed as if their oldest needed some motherly advice. Maria was just hoping that she would be able to help the girl with whatever problem she might have.

With memories and feelings from the past month still swirling around in her mind, she walked over to Liesl. Liesl drew in a breath of relief over the fact that her new mother seemed to know that she was the one Liesl needed to talk to now. Maria hugged the girl, and took her hand, and walked into the sitting room, hoping that she would be living up to her new title as a _mother._

Georg felt his heart burst with joy and pride by what he saw, his wife taking on her new role as a mother, the mother his children had needed. He knew that the children had all seen her as their mother from the very start, and he was beyond thankful by the fact that she had helped him see his children again. Making it possible for them to be a family, a family that would go through whatever the world might throw their way because they had all found love again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I give the credit for the line "Are there buttons on those trees?" to Utility-Singer, thank you for this brilliant idea… gave me some more input on those buttons and zippers, so they could play a "role" in this chapter as well… ;)
> 
> About the homecoming scene:
> 
> It was AU for the most part… sorry about that but it just kinda wrote itself ;) And the burning of the swastika flag was an excuse to bring them inside, which lead to the kiss.
> 
> The kiss is dedicated to the wonderful ladies at our pro board (and Facebook) we have been talking about wanting to have more kisses in the movie, and where they could be… this scene was mentioned and I grabbed the idea for this epilogue… THANK you all, you know who you are… *hug*
> 
> The reason for finishing the story here is simply because I LOVE that little subtle wink that Georg gives Maria when Brigitha calls her mother for the first time. It literally melts my heart every time I see that… (I have several of these "favorite" moments in the movie) so I had to bring it to my story somehow… hope you like this ending… and it will be the end.


End file.
